note

Started operations on 1 November 1979 as Jersey European Airways (JEA), as a result of a merger of Jersey-based Intra Airways and Bournemouth-based Express Air Services. Jersey European Airways was the brainchild of John Habin, a resident of Jersey and the majority investor in JEA. Having sold Aviation Beauport and other business interests, Habin established a few key routes from Jersey to the UK. Jersey European Airways was taken over in November 1983 by Jack Walker's Walker Steel Group, already the parent company of Blackpool-based charter airline Spacegrand Aviation. The two companies were run separately, with partially shared management, until their amalgamation within the Walker Aviation Group in 1985, under the Jersey European name, with the airline's headquarters moving to Exeter. The airline rebranded as British European in June 2000, shortening this title to Flybe on 18 July 2002 and repositioning itself as a full service, low-fare airline. On 3 November 2006 it was announced that agreement in principle had been reached for Flybe to acquire BA Connect, with the exception of London City Airport services. The acquisition was completed in March 2007. With the acquisition, ownership was split between Rosedale Aviation Holdings (69%), Flybe staff (16%) and International Airlines Group (15%). Beginning October 26, 2008, Loganair began code-sharing with Flybe on the Loganair's flights to Scotland. Flybe went public in December 2010. On October 27, 2014, Flybe opened an operation at London-City airport with domestic and international services. In 2016 it began operating a fleet of ATR 72s for SAS. The code-share agreement with Loganair ended in October 2017, replaced with Eastern Airways. An attempted takeover by Stobart Air in 2018 was rejected by Flybe. During the remainder of 2018 Flybe shares dropped by 75% due to waning finances. After a number of takeover offers, the airline was sold to Connect Airways (a consortium that included Virgin Atlantic and Stobart) on February 21, 2019. The new financing from Connect Airways failed to stop continued losses, and it negotiated a rescue loan from The British Government. With the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic now affecting air travel, the airline ceased operations on March 5, 2020 and entered administration. A new Flybe was launched in 2021.

founded - demised (age)

November 1 1979 - March 5 2020  (41)

headquarters

Exeter Airport, Exeter, Devon, Exeter

web

www.flybe.com

base airports

EGBB International Birmingham
EGTE Exeter
EGKK Gatwick London

related operators

Flybe Limited

Successor