LONDON—Administrators acting for grounded UK regional airline Flybe have requested a temporary license from the UK CAA.
Flybe, which had relaunched in April 2022 following an earlier failure, ceased operations and entered administration on Jan. 28.
David Pike and Mike Pink of insolvency firm Interpath Advisory have since been appointed as Flybe’s administrators, tasked with finding new owners or liquidating the company.
There has been speculation about other airlines circling to acquire Flybe’s London Heathrow slots, but no bidders have identified themselves. However, there have been signs of movement, with Pike and Pink seeking the temporary operating license for the grounded carrier.
“Flybe’s administrators have applied for a temporary operator’s license. If approved, it would allow the administrators to start the process of restructuring the business,” a UK CAA spokesperson said Feb. 14. “The UK Civil Aviation Authority has not yet made a decision on whether to grant a temporary license. Flybe’s license currently remains suspended, in accordance with the undertakings given by the administrators.”
The spokesperson declined to give any further details, such as how the temporary license could be used, whether the request could be linked to Flybe’s slots, or timelines for a potential decision. Flybe’s administrators did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The earlier Flybe failed in March 2020 and the latest incarnation launched operations in April 2022. The “new Flybe” operated a fleet of De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. For the week commencing Jan. 30, OAG data shows the carrier was scheduled to offer 292 flights across 17 routes.
Jonathan Hinkles, the CEO of Scottish regional Loganair, said his company was the first to request Flybe’s seven Heathrow slots pairs from UK slot coordinator Airport Coordination Limited (ACL). If Loganair is successful, this would be a free allocation by ACL, rather than Loganair paying to acquire the slots. However, Flybe’s affairs are currently in the hands of the administrators, so the slots have not yet been returned to the slot pool.
“We believe that they should continue to be reserved for domestic access to Heathrow,” Hinkles said, speaking at a recent Aviation Club lunch in London. “Access to our national hub for regional air services is really critical to the future.”
