BALPA has called on the Government to do whatever it takes to ensure Flybe carries on connecting the nations and regions of the UK.

This comes as news broke earlier today that secret talks have been taking place without employees or their representatives involved, or even informed.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton said:

“If Flybe didn’t exist, it would have to be invented. The airline plays an incredibly important role connecting the regions and nations of the UK and onwards to Europe.

“The importance of that regional connectivity cannot be overstated. Cities such as Exeter, Southampton, Birmingham and Cardiff rely extremely heavily on Flybe for their air links and for their economic prosperity. Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man would also suffer hugely if Flybe’s routes suddenly disappeared.

“On top of that Flybe has over 2,400 dedicated and loyal staff members, including pilots, many of whom have been with the company for a long time, and none of whom deserve to lose their job over years of management failures. Plus the airline serves as a skills pipeline for the rest of the UK aviation sector.

“We understand that talks are ongoing. The Government must recognise that the UK cannot afford to lose yet another airline, and the markets that Flybe serves cannot afford to lose their air connections which help businesses thrive. So we urge the Government to take every possible action to keep Flybe flying.”