Flybe ceased trading on Saturday, marking the struggling British regional airline's second collapse in three years, with all flights canceled and 276 workers made redundant.
The airline initially slumped into bankruptcy in March 2020, shedding 2,400 jobs, as coronavirus restrictions decimated the travel industry. However, it relaunched in April last year, flying many of the same routes out of Belfast, Birmingham and London Heathrow.
In a statement, the grounded flyer said it had called bankruptcy accountants again and warned passengers not to travel to airports as all flights were now canceled, including its international routes from Switzerland and the Netherlands.
"Flybe has now ceased trading, and all flights from and to the U.K. operated by Flybe have been canceled and will not be rescheduled," it said.
A spokesperson for administrators Interpath Advisory said about 75,000 Flybe customers had future bookings that would now not be honored.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Flybe operated flights on 21 routes to 17 destinations across the U.K. and Europe using a fleet of eight leased Q400 turboprop aircraft.
David Pike and Mike Pink from Interpath were appointed joint administrators to Flybe.
Pike said Flybe had struggled to withstand several shocks since its relaunch last year, not least the late delivery of 17 aircraft from lessors, severely compromising its efforts to build back capacity and remain competitive.
He said scaled-back elements of Flybe's operating platform would be preserved for a short period while there was a possibility of a rescue transaction. However, he encouraged any interested party to make contact urgently.
A spokesperson for Interpath said 45 members of Flybe's 321-strong workforce had been retained for the time being.
The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said passengers should "make alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail or coach operators," leaving customers with lengthy and potentially expensive trips to get home.
"It is always sad to see an airline enter administration, and we know that Flybe's decision to stop trading will be distressing for all its employees and customers," said Paul Smith, the CAA's consumer director.
Flybe returned to the skies less than 12 months ago with a plan to operate up to 530 flights per week across 23 routes. Its business and assets were purchased in April 2021 by Thyme Opco, which is linked to U.S. hedge fund Cyrus Capital.
The U.K. government said that its immediate priority would be to support anyone trying to get home and those who have lost their jobs.
"This remains a challenging environment for airlines, both old and new, as they recover from the pandemic, and we understand the impact this will have on Flybe's passengers and staff," it said.
"The Civil Aviation Authority advises passengers to help them make their journeys as smoothly and affordably as possible."
It added that most of Flybe's destinations were within the U.K., so alternative means of transport were available.
Flybe's demise contrasts with a post-pandemic pickup in demand for air travel.
Low-cost airlines Ryanair, Europe's biggest airline, and Britain's easyJet have reported record bookings for summer holidays, indicating that consumers are still keen on trips despite a looming recession.
Louise Haigh, the opposition Labour Party's transport spokesperson, said Flybe's collapse was "devastating news" for staff and customers.
"Protection for passengers is simply not strong enough – and ministers have sat on their hands for years and failed to introduce long-promised airline insolvency laws," she said.
The Unite trade union said the government had failed to learn lessons from Flybe's first collapse.
