Flybe: Cornwall flight cancellations 'a real shock', says councillor

Airline Flybe going into administration and cancelling all flights has come as a "real shock", a senior Cornwall councillor says.

A statement on the airline's website said it had ceased trading. It relaunched in April last year after previously going bust in 2020.

Flybe had routes to London and Manchester from Newquay.

Cornwall Council's economy leader Louis Gardner said the authority would look to other airlines to expand services.

Cornwall Airport Newquay it was "saddened at the news", adding that people should not travel "unless you have made arrangements with another airline".

Seamus McCoy, who used Flybe regularly to travel between Newquay and London, told BBC Radio Cornwall: "Every time I've flown, I've always thought: 'How are they making a profit?', because the planes have never been more than 50% full.

"I just really feel for the new crew they just took on literally last week."

Miriam Mead, who is in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to visit family, told BBC Radio Cornwall she had been due to fly back to Cornwall from London next month, having booked the flight three months ago.

She said: "I only found out while scrolling on my phone at seven in the morning in Rio."

She said she was still waiting to hear from Flybe, adding: "It's disappointing that I've only a week to go and now I have to make alternative arrangements."

Mr Gardner, who is a Newquay councillor as well as council portfolio holder for the economy, said the news was a "real shock to us".

However, he added routes to London and to Manchester were still available.

He said: "We were hoping Flybe was to increase operations but that's obviously not going to be the case now.

"We have nine other carriers flying 18 routes and we'll look to expand with other airlines."

The government said its "immediate priority" would be to support anyone trying to get home and Flybe staff who have lost their jobs, amid what was a "challenging environment for airlines, both old and new".

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