Air Links Still in Doubt As Coronavirus Crisis Intensifies

Wed, 18 Mar 2020

The Manx Government say there is no news yet on which airline will be providing the Island’s future air links to Birmingham and Manchester.

An announcement was due on Tuesday however since FlyBe ceased trading, the world’s aviation industry has been plunged in to turmoil due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The Centre for Aviation now predict that most airlines will be bankrupt by the end of May. It comes as Virgin Atlantic plan to axe most of its route network focusing only on ‘core routes’ while British Airways has started parking up aircraft at regional airports around the UK. Easyjet and Ryanair have not ruled out grounding their entire fleets.

Liverpool Airport has announced it will be making redundancies and temporary ‘lay-offs’ due to the unprecedented impact of the virus.

Loganair has reduced its services across the UK by 55% and say bookings are down by 75%. Loganair has been contracted by the Manx Government to provide the patient transfer service to Liverpool but the airline has said that lifeline services will be maintained.

Meanwhile the holding company of Stobart Air, Connect Airways, has today fallen in to administration in the UK. Stobart Air operate the Aer Lingus Regional service between the Isle of Man and Dublin. It is yet to be seen what the impact will be on the Aer Lingus regional service.

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