A union has warned up to 150 jobs could be lost in Northern Ireland if airline Flybe fails to stave off collapse.
Flybe operates more UK domestic flights than any other airline and is reportedly in talks over potential emergency financing after suffering rising losses, Sky News reported.
It flies to 14 UK destinations from Belfast City, more than any other airline and makes up 90% of all flights from the airport.
Union GMB said up to 2,000 direct jobs and 1,400 supply chain posts will be lost if it goes under, 150 of which are based in Belfast.
GMB national officer Nadine Houghton said: “If Flybe goes belly up, it won’t just be direct employees at risk but 1,400 supply chain jobs as well.”
“Our economy is tanking. The last thing we need is an airline to go under — especially one which provides a vital public service in some parts of the country,” Ms Houghton added.
“If government is serious about infrastructure investment in the regions, it must step in and protect what already exists.”
Among the routes operated by Flybe from Belfast are London, Manchester and Glasgow.
According to the airport’s website if Flybe was to collapse Belfast City Airport would be left with just four destinations across four airlines. The airline was operating as normal yesterday.
Belfast City Airport declined to comment but did say it was “business as usual for Flybe” at the airport.
Flybe is currently locked in crisis talks with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Transport (DfT).
A Flybe spokeswoman said: “Flybe continues to focus on providing great service and connectivity for our customers, to ensure that they can continue to travel as planned. We don’t comment on rumour or speculation.”
Spokesmen for the two Government departments issued the same statement, which said: “We do not comment on speculation or the financial affairs of private companies.”
Last February, the airline was bought by a consortium led by Virgin Atlantic following poor financial results.
Stephen Farry, Alliance Party MP for North Down, said it was “very worrying for Northern Ireland and our connectivity to GB”.
“I have written to both Andrea Leadsom as BEIS Secretary of State and Grant Shapps in Transport to stress the importance of Flybe to Northern Ireland’s connectivity and economy,” he added.
“It is not yet clear what is happening, but in all scenarios Northern Ireland needs the City Airport to be strong and for air routes to Great Britain to continue.”
SDLP MLA Daniel Crossan added that if Flybe flights were removed from Belfast City Airport it would be a “huge blow to the airport and the city in general”.
Belfast Telegraph
