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Founded | 1 November 1979 | (as Jersey European Airways||||||
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AOC # | 601 | ||||||
Hubs | |||||||
Frequent-flyer program | Avios | ||||||
Fleet size | 78 | ||||||
Destinations | 85[2] | ||||||
Company slogan | Close to you | ||||||
Parent company | Flybe Group PLC |
Flybe Group PLC (Known as flybe) was a low-cost regional airline group in Exeter, Devon, England.[3] It had over 180 routes to 65 European airports and was Europe's biggest regional airline. Over 6.7 million passengers travelled with them during 2010. The airline was on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: FLYB), and payed around 2,800 people.[4]
In February 2019, Flybe airline was sold to the Connect Airways consortium, backed by Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Aviation. They planned to rebrand Flybe as Virgin Connect while keeping its certifications. On 5 March 2020, Flybe filed for administration and ceased operations due to financial struggles worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2020, the Flybe brand was purchased by Thyme Opco, linked to former shareholder Cyrus Capital. They aimed to relaunch the airline in 2021, pending regulatory approvals. The new company was named Flybe Limited and started operating in April 2022. However, the relaunched airline stopped trading on 28 January 2023.