Flybe ‘on the brink of collapse’: Budget regional airline in last-ditch rescue talks with financiers amid fears for 2,000 jobs and the future of air links across Britain
- Accountancy firm EY is understood to have been put on standby over crisis talks
- Meanwhile the government was informed thousands could be left unemployed
- It comes less than a year after Virgin Atlantic-led consortium bailed out Flybe
- Airline said they they ‘do not comment on rumour or speculation’
There were fears for 2,000 job losses on Sunday night as Flybe bosses were locked in survival talks to prevent the airline going into administration.
Flybe, which is Europe’s largest regional airline, has put accountancy firm EY on standby for the worst case scenario, according to Sky News.
It comes less than 12 months after they were bailed out by a Virgin Atlantic-headed consortium of buyers.
The government is said to have been warned of the possibility that thousands could be left unemployed by the collapse of the airline.
Flybe, which first started operating in 1979, handles more than half of the UK’s domestic flights outside of London (pictured: A FlyBe jet is shown after landing at Malpensa airport on June 20, 2013 in Milan)
One source told Sky on Sunday night that the the Department for Transport and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been looking into whether the government could provide emergency funds.
Flybe said tonight: ‘Flybe continues to focus on providing great service and connectivity for our customers, to ensure that they can continue to travel as planned.
‘We don’t comment on rumour or speculation.’
Flybe, which first started operating in 1979, handles more than half of the UK’s domestic flights outside of London.