FILE: Struggling UK airline Flybe set to close imminently

FILE: Struggling UK airline Flybe set to close imminently

UK budget airline Flybe is set to close on Wednesday (March 4) imminently after a last-ditch loan of £100 million pounds was rejected and spelled doom for the airline, as well as the 2,000-plus employees working for Flybe.

Flybe, which serves many parts of the UK from the Channel Islands to Aberdeen, had been hoping for a £100m lifeline and changes to Air Passenger Duty taxes.

The carrier ran into difficulties last year and was bought by a consortium which includes Virgin Atlantic.

In January, the new owners said they would pump £30m into the business to keep it afloat, but appealed to the government for additional support.

Footage shows a Flybe plane taking off from Manchester Airport on Sunday (March 1).

A passenger on perhaps the last Flybe flight on Wednesday, told Newsflare in an exclusive interview that his flight from Birmingham to his hometown of Glasgow was diverted with only 10 minutes to go in the flight.

"We gave the flight crew some money, we all felt so bad for them, they were really honest with us and breaking down," the passenger told Newsflare.