British regional airline flybe went bankrupt and ceased operations on the night of Thursday, March 5. It was one of the largest regional carriers in Europe, with two hundred routes and operating more than half of the UK's domestic flights outside London, according to Travel.ru's own correspondent.
In addition to the UK, a number of routes in other European countries will be affected, including codeshare flights operated by several other airlines. Flybe was the sole carrier on dozens of routes, and it may take considerable time to replace it amid the current travel crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
This outbreak was the final straw that turned flybe's long-standing financial problems into bankruptcy. Demand for many European routes has fallen by more than half due to the current crisis, leaving the carrier without passenger funding. Until recently, it seemed flybe's problems would be resolved—in the winter, the British government decided to provide financial support to the airline, despite the objections of climate activists. However, the government's composition has since changed somewhat, and the aid has never been delivered.
It's possible that even this wouldn't have saved flybe in the current situation of sharply declining demand. Numerous carriers in Europe and Asia have already announced significant flight reductions and the placement of some employees on unpaid leave.
British aviation authorities have advised flybe passengers to purchase new tickets with other carriers, including rail and coach. Other airlines may offer flybe passengers alternative travel at a reduced price.
This is the second bankruptcy of a British regional airline in just over a year. In early 2019, British Midland Regional (flybmi) filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations. However, it's highly likely that flybe won't be the only airline or tour operator to collapse due to the global coronavirus crisis.
Source: travel.ru