LONDON — Hundreds of passengers throughout Europe have been stranded by the abrupt collapse of the British regional airline Flybmi.

British Midland Regional Limited, which operates as Flybmi, said it’s filing for administration - a British version of bankruptcy - because of higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Britain’s upcoming departure from the European Union.

“Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and a lack of confidence around bmi’sability to continue flying between destinations in Europe,” the airline said on its website late Saturday.

The airline thanked workers for their dedication and said “it is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement.”

The airline operated 17 jets on routes to 25 European cities. It employed 376 people in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Belgium and says it carried 522,000 passengers on 29,000 flights last year.

Pilots union chief Brian Strutton said the airline’s collapse came with no warning and “is devastating news for all employees.”

“Our immediate steps will be to support Flybmi pilots and explore with the directors and administrators whether their jobs can be saved,” he said.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29 but there are serious doubts about whether the British Parliament will approval the Brexit withdrawal deal that Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. That is making it more difficult for businesses to plan for the separation.

Flybmi said all flights will be cancelled and advised passengers to seek refunds from credit card issuers, travel agents or travel insurance companies.

Passengers were told not to travel to the airport Sunday unless they had made arrangements directly with other airlines. Flybmi said it would not be rescheduling passengers on other airlines’ flights.

Many passengers were left stranded by the shutdown. Hannah Price told Sky News she was planning to return Monday to Britain from Brussels on Flybmi.

“Unfortunately for me, I was supposed to be flying home with them in less than 48 hours to Bristol. I don’t think that’s going to happen now,” she said.

The collapse will have a major impact on the Northern Ireland city of Derry, also known as Londonderry, which will lose its only air connection to London. Officials at the City of Derry Airport said they were urgently seeking a new carrier to keep the link open.

Flybmi was still seeking customers up until the day before its collapse, urging people in a tweet to book flights to Germany for a winter sports holiday.

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Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC.</s>LONDON (AP) — Hundreds of passengers have been stranded by the abrupt collapse of the British regional airline Flybmi.

The airline said it’s filing for administration — a British version of bankruptcy — because of higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Britain’s upcoming departure from the European Union.

The airline operated 17 jets on routes to 25 European cities. It employed 376 people in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Belgium.

The airline said all flights will be cancelled and advised passengers to seek refunds from credit card issuers, travel agents or travel insurance companies.

Thanking workers for their dedication, the airline said “it is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement.”

Flybmi says it carried 522,000 passengers on 29,000 flights last year.</s>LONDON — Hundreds of passengers have been stranded by the abrupt collapse of the British regional airline Flybmi.

The airline said it's filing for administration — a British version of bankruptcy — because of higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Britain's upcoming departure from the European Union.

The airline operated 17 jets on routes to 25 European cities. It employed 376 people in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Belgium.

The airline said all flights will be cancelled and advised passengers to seek refunds from credit card issuers, travel agents or travel insurance companies.</s>LONDON — Hundreds of passengers throughout Europe have been stranded by the abrupt collapse of the British regional airline Flybmi.

British Midland Regional Limited, which operates as Flybmi, said it's filing for administration — a British version of bankruptcy — because of higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Britain's upcoming departure from the European Union.

"Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and a lack of confidence around bmi's ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe," the airline said on its website.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29 but there are serious doubts about whether the British Parliament will approval the Brexit withdrawal deal that Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. That is making it more difficult for businesses to plan for the separation.

The airline operated 17 jets on routes to 25 European cities. It employed 376 people in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Belgium.

The airline said all flights will be cancelled and advised passengers to seek refunds from credit card issuers, travel agents or travel insurance companies.

Thanking workers for their dedication, the airline said "it is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement."

Pilots union chief Brian Strutton said the airline's collapse "is devastating news for all employees" and came with no warning.

"Our immediate steps will be to support Flybmi pilots and explore with the directors and administrators whether their jobs can be saved," he said.

The airline was still encouraging bookings the day before its collapse, urging passengers in a tweet to book flights to Germany for winter sports.

Flybmi says it carried 522,000 passengers on 29,000 flights last year.</s>Hundreds of passengers throughout Europe have been stranded by the abrupt collapse of the British regional airline Flybmi.

British Midland Regional Limited, which operates as Flybmi, said it’s filing for administration – a British version of bankruptcy – because of higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Britain’s upcoming departure from the European Union.

“Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and a lack of confidence around bmi’s ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe,” the airline said on its website late Saturday.

The airline thanked workers for their dedication and said “it is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement.”

The airline operated 17 jets on routes to 25 European cities. It employed 376 people in Britain, Germany, Sweden and Belgium and says it carried 522,000 passengers on 29,000 flights last year.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29 but there are serious doubts about whether the British Parliament will approval the Brexit withdrawal deal that Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the EU. That is making it more difficult for businesses to plan for the separation.

Flybmi said all flights will be canceled and advised passengers to seek refunds from credit-card issuers, travel agents or travel insurance companies.</s>The budget airline, which is based in the East Midlands, has suspended all operations with immediate effect. The company blamed rising fuel and carbon costs and uncertainty over Brexit for its demise. The abrupt collapse of the regional airline has left thousands of passengers stranded throughout Europe and holiday-goers unable to travel.

Some passengers were only told of the airline’s collapse after they had checked in and gone through security. Richard Edwards, from West Sussex, is on a skiing holiday in Austria with his wife and three children and was due to fly back with Flybmi from Munich. He said: “We had gone through security at Bristol Airport when there was an announcement saying our flight had been cancelled. “They laid on taxis to Heathrow and booked us on a Lufthansa flight to Munich.

“I don’t know how we will get back yet. “I’m not confident Flybmi will be able to sort it.” Another Briton who is stuck in Belgium said the airline would not refund her fare and she could not afford an alternative. Flybmi have told affected travellers to contact their insurance and credit card companies.

Mary Ward, a Durham University student, told The BBC she received a text from the airline that said: "URGENT: Important message for Flybmi customers. All flights are cancelled. Please go to www.flybmi.com for further details. Thank you." Ms Ward was due to fly from Brussels to Newcastle but it unsure how she will return to the UK. She said: "I paid £130 for my flight which it doesn't seem I'm going to get back - I don't know how I am going to get back to Durham. “I can’t afford any of the flights or the Eurostar.”</s>A leading aviation expert has said that he believes it is “unlikely” that stricken Castle Donington airline Flybmi will be rescued.

On Saturday, the operator, which has its head office at Pegasus Business Park, next to East Midlands Airport, announced it had cancelled all of its flights and filed for administration.

The airline has blamed a spike in costs and Brexit uncertainty among the main reasons for its collapse, which has put 376 jobs at risk. With a fleet of 17 aircraft, the airline flew to 25 destinations across Europe.

One of the options that administrators will be exploring is the possibility of finding a buyer for the business.

But one aviation expert, Howard Wheeldon, of Wheeldon Strategic Advisory, believes there is little hope of Flybmi being saved.

He said: “News that Flybmi has been placed in the hands of administrators is further proof, if it was needed, of just how badly the regional European airline industry is struggling.

“Fuel costs, currencies and high competition are clearly to blame but so too is damaging Brexit uncertainty.

“Flybmi isn’t exactly large, having only 17 aircraft and 376 employees - but its loss to those that know and use it, or who are maybe stuck at one of the various European cities that the airline used to fly to, will be hard felt.

“Might the airline be rescued? Possible but unlikely in my view.”

According to Mr Wheeldon, Flybmi is not the first - and will probably not the last - airline to collapse.

He said: “Back in 2017, the collapse of Monarch had sounded big warning signs within the airline industry and this was followed in October last year when the Cyprus-based airline Cobalt Air collapsed.

“Last October, Ryanair gave a stark warning of its belief that more airlines would go bust over the following 12 months and, as if to confirm that belief was right, the German airline Germania collapsed earlier this month. Now, Flybmi has gone the same way.

“Is this the end or might we be hearing of some more airlines calling in the administrators?

“Another somewhat larger regional airlines called Flybe (no connection to Flybmi) has been much in the news of late as it put itself up for sale following its long struggle to cope with higher fuel costs, Brexit uncertainty, currency volatility and the ever increasing amount of competition from the likes of EasyJet, Ryanair and other low cost flyers.

“The jury is still out on Flybe and, given the importance of this airline in the wider community, we are all keeping our fingers crossed for a successful outcome.”

Meanwhile, the Unite union has said it is seeking urgent talks with Flybmi’s administrators about a possible buyer for the airline and to ensure that its members are paid their wages in full.

Unite has about 40 members, including cabin crew and maintenance staff, working at the airline.

Paresh Patel, Unite’s regional secretary for the East Midlands, said: “Unite will be seeking urgent meetings with the company and the administrators to ensure that the workforce are not left out of pocket and that their wages are paid in full.

“We will also be pressing for a buyer to be found so that our members can continue to serve passengers into the future.

“Unite is shocked and saddened by the news that Flybmi has gone into administration.

“This is a terrible blow for the airline’s workforce and their families, as well as the East Midlands economy.

“We will be giving maximum support to our members who work for the airline across the UK at this very difficult time for them.

“Clearly though, the airline has been caught by rising costs and falling passenger numbers amid Brexit uncertainty, which is threatening the whole of the sector and undermined Flybmi’s ability to secure future flying contracts.

“We urge the Government to pay heed and do more to restore confidence in the economy and for Prime Minister Theresa May to urgently act to bring clarity on our future relationship with the EU before many more jobs are put at risk.”

The origins of Flybmi can be traced back to the 1960s when Sir Michael Bishop founded an airline called British Midland (BMI), which at one point was based at Donington Hall - now home the motorcycle manufacturer Norton.

Over the years, BMI grew and became a rival to British Airways, securing lucrative take-off and land slots at Heathrow Airport.

In 2008, the majority of BMI was bought by German airline Lufthansa, which in 2012, sold the business to International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways.

However, the deal did not include BMI’s offshoot airlines BMIbaby and BMI Regional.

BMIbaby was shut in 2011 and the following year, BMI Regional was sold to Aberdeen-based consortium Sector Aviation Holdings for £8 million.

The deal included a fleet of 18 aircraft and at the time secured 330 jobs.</s>Airline Flybmi has suspended flights and is filing for administration, blaming uncertainty around Brexit.

The airline, which had operated 17 regional jet aircraft on routes to 25 European cities, said all flights were cancelled from Saturday.

On Saturday evening, City of Derry Airport urged customers to contact their credit card company to seek a refund on their flight to London Stansted.

The airport said that it would seek a replacement airline to operate the service as soon as possible.

Difficulties have included increases in fuel and carbon costs, as well as challenges “particularly those created by Brexit”, a statement on the airline’s website said.

A total of 376 employees based in the UK, Germany, Sweden and Belgium are employed by bmi Regional.

The statement said: “It is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement today.

“The airline has faced several difficulties, including recent spikes in fuel and carbon costs, the latter arising from the EU’s recent decision to exclude UK airlines from full participation in the Emissions Trading Scheme. These issues have undermined efforts to move the airline into profit.

“Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and lack of confidence around bmi’s ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe.

“Additionally, our situation mirrors wider difficulties in the regional airline industry which have been well documented.

“Against this background, it has become impossible for the airline’s shareholders to continue their extensive programme of funding into the business, despite investment totalling over £40 million in the last six years.

“We sincerely regret that this course of action has become the only option open to us, but the challenges, particularly those created by Brexit, have proven to be insurmountable.”

Customers have been advised to contact their payment card issuer to get a refund for flights, while those who have booked through a travel agent or partner airlines are advised to contact their agent or airline for details of their options. – PA</s>Passengers who’d booked to travel with Flybmi.com have been told to contact their insurance and credit card companies to obtain a refund.

The UK regional airline Flybmi announced on Saturday afternoon it had ceased operations with all flights cancelled, leaving 376 employees at risk of redundancy.

British Midland Regional Limited, the East Midlands-based airline which operates as Flybmi operated 17 regional jet aircraft on routes to 25 European cities before its collapse.

One of Flybmi’s routes, which connected Stansted and Londonderry, was partly paid for by the government to help trade links between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

Derry Strabane Council said it was in emergency talks with the Department of Transport to seek an alternative airline for the route.

Why has the airline gone into administration?

The company said uncertainty over Brexit and rises in fuel and carbon costs led it to go into administration.

A spokesman for the Flybmi said: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement today. The airline has faced several difficulties, including recent spikes in fuel and carbon costs, the latter arising from the EU’s recent decision to exclude UK airlines from full participation in the Emissions Trading Scheme.

‘These issues have undermined efforts to move the airline into profit. Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and lack of confidence around bmi’s ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe. Additionally, our situation mirrors wider difficulties in the regional airline industry which have been well documented.

‘Against this background, it has become impossible for the airline’s shareholders to continue their extensive programme of funding into the business, despite investment totalling over £40m in the last six years. We sincerely regret that this course of action has become the only option open to us, but the challenges, particularly those created by Brexit, have proven to be insurmountable.

‘Our employees have worked extremely hard over the last few years and we would like to thank them for their dedication to the company, as well as all our loyal customers who have flown with us over the last six years.’

Can you get a refund if you have Flybmi tickets?

The airline has told those who booked directly with Flybmi to contact their insurance and credit card companies to seek a refund.

Passengers who booked via a travel agent or one of Flybmi’s partner airlines should contact them directly.

If you have travel insurance, contact your insurers to see if you can claim for cancelled flights.

The Civil Aviation Authority has also published advice for travellers on their website.

No. FlyBe is a different airline to Flybmi and has released a statement telling their customers they are operating as usual.

‘We are very sorry to hear about the situation with the competing British regional airline Flybmi and our thoughts are with their employees during these difficult times.

‘Flybe has nothing to do with Flybmi and our flights continue to operate as normal.’

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MORE: Chaos as Flybmi suspends all flights to ‘file for administration’</s>East Midlands-based airline Flybmi has announced it has cancelled all flights and is filing for administration.

The airline, which operates 17 aircraft on routes to 25 European cities, said it had been affected by recent rises in fuel and carbon costs and "uncertainty created by the Brexit process".

A spokesperson for Flybmi, which employs 376 staff, said: “It is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement today.

"The airline has faced several difficulties, including recent spikes in fuel and carbon costs, the latter arising from the EU’s recent decision to exclude UK airlines from full participation in the Emissions Trading Scheme.

"These issues have undermined efforts to move the airline into profit. Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and lack of confidence around bmi’s ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe.

"Additionally, our situation mirrors wider difficulties in the regional airline industry which have been well documented.

“Against this background, it has become impossible for the airline’s shareholders to continue their extensive programme of funding into the business, despite investment totalling over £40m in the last six years. We sincerely regret that this course of action has become the only option open to us, but the challenges, particularly those created by Brexit, have proven to be insurmountable.

“Our employees have worked extremely hard over the last few years and we would like to thank them for their dedication to the company, as well as all our loyal customers who have flown with us over the last six years.”

The airline is advising customers who have booked flights directly with flybmi to contact their card issuer to obtain a refund.

Anyone who has booked via a travel agent or one of flybmi’s partner airlines should contact them for details of the options available to them.

Customers with travel insurance should contact their provider to see if they are eligible to claim for cancelled flights.

Brian Strutton, General Secretary of The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), said: "The collapse of Flybmi is devastating news for all employees. Regrettably BALPA had no warning or any information from the company at all.

"Our immediate steps will be to support Flybmi pilots and explore with the directors and administrators whether their jobs can be saved.”
Hundreds of airline passengers are left stranded throughout Europe following British airline Flybmi's bankruptcy filing.