UK regional airline Flybe plans to relaunch this summer following the completion of the sale of its assets and business to Thyme Opco, a new company affiliated with Cyrus Capital. Thyme Opco will be renamed Flybe Limited.
A spokesperson for Flybe said: “Subject to further success with vaccinations and relaxation of travel restrictions, we plan to launch a new and much improved Flybe sometime this summer on many of our former routes where there remains a critical need for a strong, reliable, and customer-focused airline.”
“While our company will initially be smaller than before, we intend to grow, create valuable jobs, and make significant contributions to essential regional connectivity in the UK and EU.”
It has not yet been revealed how many routes the airline will operate – before its collapse Fly operated 210 routes between 15 countries – but the new owners claim they will resume “many” former routes. One stumbling block may be the uncertainty surrounding ownership of airport slots, which were placed under the administrators after the airline was stripped of its operating licence in line with Civil Aviation Authority policy. The new company has appealed the ownership of the slots, which remain under administration control for now.