BIRMINGHAM, UK — The British regional airline Flybe has resumed its operations from Birmingham Airport as of April 13. In March 2020, the carrier had entered administration, a practice similar to declaring bankruptcy as the Covid-19 outbreak hit air travel around the world.

In October 2020, Lucien Farrell, the former shareholder of Cyrus Capital's European office, formed a new company (Thyme Opco) to acquire the Flybe brand and relaunch the airline. After regulatory approvals and restructuring of the company, the airline made its inaugural flight from Birmingham to Belfast on April 13.

Flybe now operates four daily flights between Birmingham and Belfast City with additional routes due to start in the coming weeks and months.

In November 2021, it was announced that Birmingham Airport would be the airline’s headquarter and first crew base with plans to create up to 200 new jobs in the region over the next three years.

The official launch of the new airline was celebrated at Birmingham Airport with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Flybe’s CEO, Dave Pflieger, and Birmingham Airport Chief Executive, Nick Barton.

Over the coming weeks and months, the airline will take delivery of new aircraft and expand its route network to other new destinations from Birmingham to Amsterdam, Avignon, Brest, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen.

The new Flybe's fleet comprises two 15-years old Dash-8-400 turboprops registered G-JECX and G-JECY respectively.