Flybe has ceased trading and all its scheduled flights have been cancelled, with hundreds of jobs lost.
The airline has gone into administration less than a year after returning to the skies following a previous collapse.
Sky News understands that 277 of Flybe’s 321 staff have been made redundant. The remaining 44 have been retained.
Ticket-holders were advised to check the Civil Aviation Authority website for further information or if they had booked through an intermediary to contact the relevant agent.
Flybe operated scheduled services from Belfast, Birmingham and Heathrow to airports across the UK and to Amsterdam and Geneva.
In a statement posted on its Twitter account, the airline said: “We are sad to announce that Flybe has been placed into administration.
“David Pike and Mike Pink of Interpath have been appointed administrators.
“Regretfully, Flybe has now ceased trading.
“All Flybe flights from and to the UK are cancelled and will not be rescheduled.”
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Advice for passengers
CAA consumer director Paul Smith said: “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 of its employees and customers.
“We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Flybe flights are cancelled.
“For the latest advice, Flybe customers should visit the Civil Aviation Authority’s website or our Twitter feed for more information.”
A government spokesman said: “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.
“Our immediate priority is to support people travelling home and employees who have lost their jobs.
“The Civil Aviation Authority is providing advice to passengers to help them make their journeys as smoothly and affordably as possible.
“The majority of destinations served by Flybe are within the UK with alternative transport arrangements available.
“We recognise that this is an uncertain time for affected employees and their families.
“Jobcentre Plus, through its Rapid Response Service, stands ready to support any employee affected.”
Flybe planned to operate hundreds of flights a week
Flybe had previously been pushed into administration in March 2020 with the loss of 2,400 jobs as the COVID-19 pandemic battered large parts of the travel market.
Its business and assets were purchased in 2021 by Thyme Opco, which is linked to US hedge fund Cyrus Capital.
Thyme Opco was renamed Flybe Limited.
It had been based at Birmingham Airport.
On the resumption of its flying operations last April, it planned to operate up to 530 flights a week across 23 routes, serving airports such as Belfast City, Birmingham, East Midlands, Glasgow, Heathrow and Leeds Bradford.