Even before the full scale of the coronavirus crisis became clear, the demise of the regional giant paralysed UK connectivity and weakened the wider aviation ecosystem.
As the world grapples with COVID-19, the commercial aviation industry has been hit hard by the resulting reduction in air travel. Paired with its existing troubles, Europe’s largest regional carrier, Flybe, became the first airline casualty of this extraordinary situation, ceasing trading on March 5. The collapse left passengers stranded and more than 2,000 people across Britain and beyond without a job. While the demise of the carrier was not entirely unexpected, the deeply profound impact of its loss on the UK aviation ecosystem simply cannot be overestimated.
With the exception of a handful of headline routes – notably those to and from Heathrow scooped up following the demise of Virgin’s Little Red experiment – Flybe did not offer a particularly electrifying network. While others chased the bright lights of major hubs and exotic hotspots, the Exeter-based carrier’s bread-and-butter routes formed the backbone of intra-UK connectivity. The company, best known for operating dark purple Q400 turboprops, carried more than nine million …
