Commuters across Donegal have been left high and dry after the UK’s largest regional airline, Flybe, went into administration and ceased all flights earlier this morning.
Many Donegal people use the airline for flights to and from the UK from both Belfast and Knock.
Anybody who has booked flights for today and the coming days have been told to stay away until alternative arrangements have been made.
The jobs of 2,000 staff, including 150 based in Belfast, are in doubt.
Up to 80% of the flights at Belfast City Airport were operated by Flybe.
The airline had been struggling and a proposed £100m British government loan was being challenged by a number of rival airlines.
The slowdown in bookings due to the Coronavirus situation was the final body blow.
Flybe flew 8.5 million passengers each year to 170 European destinations, including Dublin, Cork and also Ireland West Airport in Knock.
Flybe regularly complained about the impact of government passenger duties of £26 for an internal UK return flight.
Belfast City Airport Chief Executive Brian Ambrose said they were “extremely disappointed” at the news.
In a statement, chief executive Mark Anderson said the company had made “every possible attempt” to avoid collapse but had been “unable to overcome significant funding challenges”.
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