The Government recognises that this will be a difficult time for Flybe’s passengers and staff. Our immediate priority has been to support people travelling home and employees who have lost their jobs. We are working closely with regional airports to understand the impacts on their businesses and local jobs.

Connectivity between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is currently very strong and has largely recovered to 2019 levels. This includes a number of competing services between Belfast and London, the Public Service Obligation (PSO) from Derry / Londonderry to London, and routes from Northern Ireland to several cities throughout Great Britain.

The Government acknowledges that this will be a difficult time for Flybe’s passengers and staff. Our immediate priority has been to support people travelling home and employees who have lost their jobs. Flybe hasn’t operated from Cardiff Airport since 2020 and we recognise the impact this has had on the airport in the years since.

Financial assistance to providers or air transport services is a devolved matter and therefore in the hands of the Welsh Government, although officials at the Department for Transport engage regularly with the Welsh Government on aviation policy.

With specific regard to Cardiff Airport, a robust strategy is urgently needed to ensure the sustainability of Cardiff Airport, having originally been bought by the Welsh Government for £52m in 2013 and has since (in 2021) been valued at just £15m.

This year marks a decade since the Welsh Government bought Cardiff Airport. We’ve seen warnings raised over the site’s future sustainability and have seen major airlines – such as Wizz Air and Flybe – ceasing all operations at the site. There are no signs of improvement. Annual passenger numbers have fallen since the pandemic, down from 1.6 million in 2019 to 812,000 in the year to November 2022.

It’s absolutely crucial that the Welsh Government publishes a comprehensive strategy to place the airport on a more sustainable footing, with a crucial aim of returning it to the commercial sector at the earliest opportunity. Doing so, I hope, would be of benefit to the people of Newport West, Wales and the rest of the UK.

In the early hours of the morning of Saturday 28 January, Flybe Limited ceased trading. This was a commercial decision by the board of the company. The Government recognises that this will be a difficult time for Flybe’s passengers and staff. The immediate priority has been to support people travelling home and employees who have lost their jobs.

Aviation is a devolved matter. However, officials at the Department for Transport have contacted Belfast City Airport to discuss the impacts of the announcement and have also been in contact with the Northern Ireland Department for Communities (DfC), as they are responsible for jobseeker support and related services in Northern Ireland.

In the early hours of the morning of Saturday 28 January, Flybe Limited ceased trading. This was a commercial decision by the board of the company.

The Government recognises that this will be a difficult time for Flybe’s passengers and staff. The immediate priority has been to support people travelling home and employees who have lost their jobs.

Aviation is broadly a devolved matter, although officials at the Department for Transport engage regularly with the Welsh Government on aviation policy. No discussions have taken place between the Department for Transport and the Welsh Government in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of Flybe, as the airline did not operate scheduled services in Wales.

The Department speaks to the Civil Aviation Authority regularly and have spoken to them multiple times over the last few days as they respond to the situation and provide advice to passengers to help them make their journeys as smoothly and affordably as possible. Whilst this is a commercial decision for the company, it is a challenging time for staff, and it is welcome news that airlines are keen to take on many of their staff.

It would not be appropriate for a UK Minister to comment on cases that are a matter for the Isle of Man Government, the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority or the independent Pensions Regulator. Members wishing to receive updates should contact the Scheme Administrator or the Isle of Man Government.

The Government recognises the impact of Flybe’s collapse and the subsequent impact of COVID-19 on regional airports, regional economies and connectivity across the UK.

The Government remains committed to supporting regional connectivity across all transport modes, as well as the importance of maintaining a thriving competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver connectivity. Regional air connectivity will form a key strand of our aviation recovery plan which we aim to publish this Autumn.

The Government recognises the impact Flybe’s collapse and the subsequent COVID-19 constraints on services, regional airports, regional economies and connectivity across the UK. We are working with industry to identify where key routes are being re-established and we remain committed to supporting regional connectivity, recognising the importance of maintaining a thriving competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver this. In May the Government announced a £5.7million funding package of measures, temporarily supporting two airlinks, from Belfast and Londonderry to London, and associated airport services at City of Derry Airport and Belfast City Airport. The funding package ensured that lifeline connectivity services continued to both Belfast and Londonderry during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Government has provided an unprecedented package of measures to support the UK economy. These measures are open to businesses across the aviation sector and include a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees and VAT deferrals. In exceptional circumstances, where a viable company has exhausted all options and its failure would disproportionately harm the economy, the Government is prepared to enter discussions with individual companies seeking bespoke support as a last resort. Any intervention would need to represent value for money for taxpayers. We will continue to engage with stakeholders across the sector, including regional airports, to understand the situations they face.

The Chancellor has announced that there will be a consultation on aviation tax reform. As part of this consultation, the Government will consider the case for changing the APD treatment of domestic flights, such as reintroducing a return leg exemption, and for increasing the number of international distance bands

The Government remains committed to supporting regional connectivity across all transport modes, as well as the importance of maintaining a thriving competitive aviation sector in the UK to deliver connectivity. The Department is currently working on a recovery plan for the sector out to 2025. The plan will have a strong focus on regional connectivity and will be developed in consultation with industry for an Autumn publication.

Where a company, such as Flybe, is being taken under the management of an administrator, it would be a matter for the administrator if employees are able to access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. However, we would expect an administrator would only access the scheme if there is a reasonable likelihood of rehiring the workers.

The government takes tax compliance seriously, including recovering any unpaid taxation from companies in administration. However, HMRC has a duty of confidentiality and individual taxpayer information cannot be disclosed.

Government was in discussion with Flybe’s shareholders and directors, exploring multiple options to find a solution that would ensure a long-term future for the company. However, keeping the company operating was not deemed viable by its directors.

The payment of redundancy claims to employees who were employed in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. Redundancy claims are processed by the NI Redundancy Payments Service in Belfast under the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

The Government will make sure it protects, as far as possible, people’s jobs and incomes. Firms that are in administration are welcome to use the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme under the same conditions as other employers. Further information on eligibility can be found in the published guidance available at: http://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has engaged with the Isle of Man Government to enquire how they plan to work with Flybe and regulators to support pension scheme members. The Secretary of State has not engaged with the administrators of Flybe Limited.

Her Majesty’s Government recognises that airports are vital for local economies, providing domestic and global connectivity, employment opportunities, and a hub for local transport. We have been working closely with airports and airlines to encourage them to act quickly to fill routes which are vital for local communities and businesses, including those in Belfast.

A review of Regional Air Connectivity was recently announced to ensure all nations and regions of the UK have the domestic transport connections local communities rely on. Her Majesty’s Government plays no part in, and through regulations is legally prevented from intervening in, the airport slot allocation process. Whilst there is no role for Government to play in this matter, it is in the interest of UK consumers that all airport slots are used efficiently.

The Government have been engaging on this issue with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which is contracted to provide booking services for women travelling to England to access abortion services. Flights have been rebooked for anyone affected by the collapse of Flybe to ensure access for women and girls. The Government continue to fund all the costs of the procedure, including travel and, where needed, accommodation. We are also working closely with the devolved Administrations, the Department for Transport and airlines to identify opportunities and to encourage them to act quickly to fill routes that are vital for local communities and business. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State mentioned, a number of routes have already been taken up.

If he will make an assessment of the effect of the collapse of FlyBe on the ability of women in Northern Ireland to access abortion services in England.

The Government are under a clear duty to deliver abortion reform for Northern Ireland, consistent with section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019, which requires that evidence-based protocols are adopted for the provision of services in Northern Ireland. Those regulations will be laid, and the deadline for that is the end of this month.