Image Source: Cornwall Live
Low-cost airlines EasyJet and Ryanair say that people who lost their jobs when regional airline Flybe went out of business should apply for jobs with them.
Flybe went bankrupt on Saturday, which put 277 people out of work.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) said that worried workers had called them early Saturday morning.
But Martin Chalk, the leader of the union, said that jobs were “out there.”
EasyJet said that it was looking for 250 cabin crew members.
Ryanair said on the careers page of its website that it was looking for pilots, engineers, and people to work on the ground.
When Flybe went bankrupt three years ago, some of the staff had already been through something similar. When this happened, the airline got rid of 2,000 workers and started up again in April of last year.
Airlines are also determined not to have the same problems as last year, when a lack of staff led to the cancellation of thousands of flights, leaving passengers stuck and asking for money.
“Jobs for everyone”
After going bankrupt, Flybe canceled all of its flights to and from the UK. This affects 75,000 people in total. As a result, passengers have been rushing to find other ways to get where they need to go.
But, according to airline analyst John Strickland, most Flybe’s employees are not likely to be left out in the cold.
EasyJet said it was not looking for pilots now, but it would like Flybe’s cabin crew to apply for the 250 open positions at Gatwick and Luton airports.
EasyJet said that the hiring process for Flybe’s cabin crew would be sped up and completed in 10 days. Then, in 10 weeks, they could start working.
Optimism
Flybe went bankrupt for the first time in March 2020, when the pandemic caused almost all flights to be canceled. It was saved by Thyme Opco, a company connected to the US hedge fund Cyrus Capital, and relaunched in early 2022 as a much smaller operator.
This time, fewer jobs were at risk, said airline analyst John Strickland.
“And it’s a much more hopeful time for the staff,” he said. “The original Flybe company went bankrupt with about 70 planes, and the industry was starting to feel the shock that Covid caused.
He also said that Ryanair and EasyJet seem to be in a good place to hire people.
Ryanair is already making money again, despite the problems it had last year. Recently, CEO Micheal O’Leary told the Financial Times that he sees “no signs” that the current economic slowdown will hurt airlines.
EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren told the BBC that his company’s sales had gone up again, which cut down on its losses.
Mr. Strickland said that Flybe had not been able to take advantage of the rise in travel demand because of tough competition, rising fuel prices, and the lack of “a clear and defensible business strategy, given that regional flying is the toughest segment to be in.”
Mr. Chalk from Balpa said he would like to work with the sector and the government to stabilize the market and stop “the churn” when companies take employees from each other.
Frustration among passengers after Flybe cancelled all flights
After the airline went into administration, things could be much better for its passengers.
After going out of business in 2020, it started up again in April last year, so passengers had to pay for other ways to get around.
The company’s administrator has confirmed that 277 of its 321 employees are being let go.
At Belfast City Airport, many Flybe employees work. The head of the airport said that the news was disappointing and unwelcome.
Most employees were let go, but 45 were kept to help the administrators.
The first flight from Belfast City Airport to Newcastle was scheduled to leave at 7:00 GMT on Saturday morning when the news of the collapse came in.
Flybe’s current version resumed flying in April of last year. It was bought out of bankruptcy after the company’s previous owners let it go bankrupt at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Then it was an event that could have changed the City Airport’s existence.
Flybe was its biggest operator, and it needed to clarify when or if it would be replaced because of pandemic restrictions.
This time is different. IAG, which owns Aer Lingus and BA, is now the airport’s biggest customer.
And the airport already has an alternative carrier for eight of Flybe’s ten routes.
But now it must be asked if an independent UK regional airline like Flybe is still a good idea.
If not, there could be less competition, leading to prices increasing for customers.
Mr. Calder said that since the last time Flybe went bankrupt, other airlines had moved in and taken over the profitable routes from Belfast.
Even though there was no room, he added, Northern Ireland probably had “just about the connectivity it needed and deserved.”
Read Also: Flybe cancels all regional flights in the UK
From Belfast City, Flybe flew on ten routes, including Heathrow, Manchester, Glasgow, and Amsterdam.
When Flybe went out of business in 2020, it was in charge of about 80% of the flights in Belfast City. Flybe made up about 14% of flights at the airport more recently.
Gavin Robinson, an MP for East Belfast, said that the airport’s management was surprised when Flybe went bankrupt.
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