British airline Flybe collapses, stranding travellers

British airline Flybe collapses, stranding travellers

The struggling British airline Flybe has collapsed, leaving passengers stranded and told to find their own way home.. UK Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement Thursday that financially troubled Flybe had entered administration.. It said, "All Flybe flights are cancelled.. "Flybe customers are urged to make their own alternative travel arrangements via other airlines, rail or coach operators," it said.. Flybe's network included more than half of British domestic flights outside of London.. The carrier's collapse came after the British government tried to save it, while fending off allegations from competitors that it had provided state aid to Flybe.. Flybe has a major presence at airports such as Aberdeen, Belfast City, Manchester and Southampton, and flies some 9 million passengers a year to 170 destinations across the continent.. Its links to some difficult-to-reach spots in the UK were a strong selling point for the government.. Known as Connect Airways, it paid just 2.2 million pounds for Flybe's assets but pledged to inject cash into the airline to turn it around.. Flybe has struggled with a series of issues, including the weakening of the pound in light of Britain's pending departure from the European Union.. The weaker pound hurts airlines