On Wednesday, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that collapsed airline Flybe's administrators had applied for a temporary air operator certificate (AOC). If successful, this does not mean that the twice-folded airline's flights would resume right away.However, it would give the administrators a chance to get the carrier on solid footing. It is the first time ever in history that the CAA has received a request for a temporary license from a bankrupt airline. As quoted by The Independent, a spokesperson for the CAA said,

“Flybe’s administrators have applied for a temporary operator’s licence. If approved, it would allow the administrators to start the process of restructuring the business. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has not yet made a decision on whether to grant a temporary licence. Flybe’s licence currently remains suspended in accordance with the undertakings given by the administrators.”

Not even a year of Flybe 2.0 operations

The new Flybe received its AOC in April 2021, but it took a year before operations were back up and running. However, following a brief stint back in the regional skies, Flybe collapsed again and ceased trading on January 28, 2023.

The administrators from Interpath have blamed a delay in aircraft deliveries for the airline's misfortune. They have confirmed that 277 of the carrier's 321 staff would be made redundant, many of whom work at Belfast Airport.

shutterstock_2153961631
Photo: Bradley Casin/Shutterstock

Meanwhile, a former pilot for the airline, who has now lost his job twice in the space of under three years, told the BCC last week that Flybe was recruiting new staff until the day before its collapse. Keith Sivel told reporters about his and his colleagues' reaction to the news,

"[It's] strange to say we weren't surprised - we weren't surprised but we were shocked. We'd been told by the company originally that there'd been two to three years [of] finances even if we were flying around with low numbers of passengers so that's really where the shock came from."

Loganair wants slots earmarked for domestic routes

Flybe does have a very attractive asset when it comes to entertaining suitors - its airport slots. Even as major European airlines Lufthansa and Air France-KLM circle the remains for the coveted London Heathrow allocations, the CEO of Loganair, Jonathan Hinkles, has called on the UK government to preserve these slots for domestic aviation.

Speaking to FlightGlobal on Wednesday, Mr Hinkles stated that allowing foreign airlines to take the slots under a highest bidder principle would go against the government’s pledge for disadvantaged UK regions and reduce access to communities served by, for instance, Loganair, to the country's main hub airport.

“It’s unacceptable that these slots are being auctioned off. Access to our national hub for regional services is critical.”

Catch up on all the latest aviation news with Simple Flying

Source: The Independent, BBC, FlightGlobal