The British airline, Flybmi, has recently announced that it is filing for bankruptcy, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded throughout Europe. The company, operated by British Midland Regional Limited and formerly BMI Regional, stated that it has decided to close up shop due to the ongoing Brexit crisis and the sudden rise in fuel costs. The airline did not elaborate further on other causes, but it did reveal that it was having a difficult time dealing with Britain's upcoming exit from the European Union.
In a post published on the company's website, the company declared that it was suspending all future prospects, including the planned purchase of larger regional jets. The airline explained that it is apparently having a lot of difficulties securing new contracts in Europe. Flybmi mainly flies passengers domestically, throughout the UK and Europe, which it is now having problems with due to the "lack of confidence" from neighboring countries. The airline also reiterated in its post that the decision to file for bankruptcy was a difficult one and it thanks all of its workers for all the years they had worked for them.
Flybmi operated 17 airplanes, which flew to 25 countries in Europe. In 2018, the airline carried a total of 522,000 passengers on over 29,000 flights across Europe. Flybmi employs around 376 full-time employees that are spread in different European countries. Flybmi was initially launched as Business Air in Europe in 1987. It has since been owned and operated by different companies, including Lufthansa, Sector Aviation Holdings, and Airline Investments Limited (AIL).
In an announcement to its passengers, Flybmi said that it has canceled all of its upcoming flights. Passengers have been advised to immediately ask for refunds from their travel agents, insurance companies, and their credit card issuers. The airline also stated that it will not be assisting in the rebooking of flights with other airlines. Flybmi's booking facilities, both online and offline, were still open a day before it made the bankruptcy announcement. The hundreds of people that booked their flights during that day are now stranded and most will have to reschedule their flights with other airlines to get to their destinations.
According to Flybmi's employees, the collapse of the airline apparently came without any warning. Employees were reportedly not informed beforehand about the planned closure, with most having no idea that the airline was experiencing problems. Different labor unions are also now reportedly taking steps and are trying to set up meetings with the company's directors.
