Flybe: Fears raised of how Portsmouth could suffer after administration affects Southampton Airport

Flybe announced yesterday that it would be going into administration, putting more than 2,000 jobs at risk.

The company is responsible for 95 per cent of flights at Southampton Airport.

But it is feared that this could have a knock-on effect in Portsmouth, with the company’s collapse leading to a drop in visitor numbers and affecting business travel to and from the city.

Deputy council leader, Cllr Steve Pitt, admitted that the administration news, coupled with growing fears over coronavirus, could hit the number of tourists coming to the city.

He said: ‘It’s an unmitigated disaster that affects every cultural site from hotels to tourist attractions.

‘We don’t know exactly who flies and who doesn’t so it’s impossible to say who will lose out the most.

‘But some people and businesses in Portsmouth heavily rely on travel from Southampton Airport and it’s a huge shame to see that affecting people. It’s a tragic situation for those who work for Flybe in the city too and I can’t begin to imagine the impact this will have on them and their families.’

Despite fears about the future, Cllr Pitt is remaining optimistic about how Portsmouth will cope without the regional airline – but says the government must play its part.

‘At the end of the day, if people want to travel they will find a way to do so,’ he said.

‘We don’t want to see Southampton Airport fail because of this, so the government must step in to help them out.’

Customers who had flights booked with Flybe are being urged by the UK Civil Aviation Authority not to go to the airport and ‘make their own alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail or coach operators’.

Labour MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, said: ‘Countless Portsmouth people rely on Southampton Airport’s proximity for business and leisure travel.

‘The shockwaves of the Flybe news will be felt in Portsmouth and I will be liaising with any constituents affected, and those at risk of losing their job.’

In an email to staff, CEO Mark Anderson said: ‘It’s with enormous sadness and a deep feeling of sorrow that I share the upsetting news that Flybe is shortly being put into administration.

‘Despite every effort, we now have no alternative – having failed to find a feasible solution to allow us to keep trading.’

He also cited the outbreak of coronavirus as a factor in the decision.

In Flybe’s place, Loganair and Eastern Airways have announced they will pick up some of the routes.

Trade union GMB has claimed that Southampton Airport itself could be at risk of closure.

Ross McNally, Hampshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive, said: ‘This is hugely concerning for Flybe staff and passengers, and the many businesses that rely on services to and from Southampton Airport.

‘Through its domestic network and continental destinations, Flybe has played a major role connecting our communities and companies with trading partners in the rest of the UK and overseas.

‘The government must meet the challenges posed by the airline’s collapse positively and creatively.’