Flybe, a British regional airline based at Birmingham International Airport has entered administration as of 28 January 2023. My sympathies go out to the pilots, cabin crew and the rest of the staff working for Flybe. In this blog I’ll give a background on the Flybe collapse and why there is hope for pilots and cabin crew.

What lead to the Flybe collapse?

You may remember the original Flybe was placed under administration in March 2020. Thyme Opco linked to a stakeholder, Cyrus Capital put an agreement in place to purchase the Flybe brand. This led to the relaunch of the new Flybe. And in April 2022 Flybe opened it’s second base in Belfast.

The administrators claim the Flybe collapse is the result of on-going issues from day 1. One of these being the impact of COVID-19 on aircraft delivery. Flybe suffered a delay of 17 aircrafts. This had knock-on effects on the schedules, security of valuable slots and passenger numbers. Another impact is the rise of competition from Flybe’s absence – regional competitor LoganAir has swooped up a lot of their customer base before Flybe restarted operations in 2022.

Flybe saw the implications of aircraft shortage in summer of 2022. There’s no doubt that the aviation sector was booming in summer of 2022 passenger levels were up and COVID was looking like something of the past. In fact, based on TUI’s annual report passenger levels were similar to those pre-pandemic. However, in this booming market the new Flybe relied operations on the De Havilland Canada (DHC)-Q400s which only seat 90 passengers at most! Therefore, the lack of capacity really impacted what was projected to be a busy, profitable opportunity for most airlines including Flybe.

Another example is the lack of viable investment. I have to stress Flybe started operations soon after we had seen the brunt of COVID. This was during an unprecedented, uncertain period where most sectors not to say the least the aviation sector was getting back on its feet. For an airline to operate successfully it needs funding. In fact, a LOT of funding to ensure they can scale up operations, outcompete and offer better regional connections to passengers. Given that Flybe 2.0 was starting up again meant fewer investors would be looking at Flybe as a stable investment. More recently, given the poor economic situation globally – the Ukraine War, fuel prices hikes and the living crisis looming the timing was no the best for any expanding airline. All of these factors thus contributed to the collapse of Flybe.

A Silver Lining

Two budget carriers, Ryanair and EasyJet have announced staff should apply to roles for immediate selection. EasyJet announces 250 vacancies for cabin crew. A fast-track service has been put in place with an immediate start within 10 weeks. Rival Ryanair has posted on their social media detailing vacancies for all areas in the business. For example, I recently came across the below last-minute road show/careers event for Flybe pilots. So whilst it’s not ideal – it is something. A bit of hope.

EasyJet, Ryanair and many airlines will want to drive recruitment as soon as they can! Aside from the compassion and care for one another in aviation, there is a great business advantage of employing Flybe employees. We all remember the chaos the surge in passenger travel caused in the summer. High passenger demand, staff shortages and flight cancellations cost airlines thousands. With summer just around the corner again – Flybe’s collapse is a great opportunity for airlines to swoop up trained employees with years of experience. It’s also a silver lining for Flybe staff to join airlines that are actively seeking out employees in all areas of the business. Mr Chalk, BALPA general secretary states there are “gaps and opportunities” as most airlines will not have filled summer roles yet.

Flybe 2.0 is notably smaller with just 5 aircrafts compared to the original Flybe with over 70 aircrafts. Therefore, with fewer staff there is strong confidence to suggest majority of the pilots will be absorbed by other airlines before the summer. Especially if you’re an experienced pilot. The whole idea of a global ‘pilot shortage’ often more than not refers to experienced first officers and captains. The likes of Ryanair and EasyJet will want to swoop these pilots up immediately. And if you’re less-experienced this doesn’t necessarily mean newer pilots are not valuable. Rather it means experienced Flybe pilots can be confident there are jobs available to them. And for those unexperienced newbies there is hope –  airlines will sympathise with their difficult situation and help any way they can – a great example is Ryanair and EasyJet actively recruiting Flybe staff.

Resources for Flybe employees

British Airlines Pilots Association (BALPA) – This is the professional trade union representing the best interests of pilots. They represent over 10,000 pilots and they are the largest resource for commercial aviation skills and qualifications in the UK. As your trade union they’d be more than happy to help regarding any concerns or questions. Their emergency number is 0208 476 4099.

The Resilient Pilot Programme – I recently joined this programme. They have seminars and workshops around resilience as well as coaching programmes in place. Working with the Resilient Pilot Programme you also have the option to have 1-2-1 coaching and mentorship from their pool of pilots. In times like this there’s nothing better than speaking to other pilots who may have been through a similar situation.