British airline collapses leaving hundreds in the lurch

British airline collapses leaving hundreds in the lurch

British regional airline, Flybmi has collapsed leaving hundreds of passengers in the lurch.

The airline filed for administration on Saturday, citing higher fuel costs and uncertainty caused by Brexit.

“Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and a lack of confidence around bmi’s ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe,” the airline said in a statement.

According to a notice on the airline’s website, all flights have been cancelled and the company is unable to arrange or reschedule flights on behalf of passengers.

Passengers who have booked with the airline are being urged not to go to the airport unless they have booked with an alternative airline.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement,” a spokesperson for the airline said, according to the BBC.

“The airline has faced several difficulties, including recent spikes in fuel and carbon costs, the latter arising from the EU’s recent decision to exclude UK airlines from full participation in the Emissions Trading Scheme.”

Flybmi operates 600 flights a week to 24 destinations including Brussels, Milan, Munich and Hamburg using a fleet of 17 Embraer jets. Last year, it carries 522,000 passengers.

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