Stranded Flybe customers offered free train tickets home after airline collapses and cancels all flights

Flybe has cancelled all flights today (Thursday, March 5) after it entered administration overnight.

The airline said it had ceased trading with immediate effect, after crisis talks yesterday failed to secure a rescue package.

All flights were immediately grounded and all passengers advised not to travel to airports unless alternative flight arrangements had been made.

But the UK's largest rail operator FirstGroup is offering those left stranded at airports a free journey home onboard one of its train services.

The free ticket will be available on all TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast services, as well as Great Western Railway, South Western Railway and Hull Trains.

It is free to all affected Flybe customers for travel up until midnight on Sunday, March 15.

Customers will need to provide a boarding pass or other valid proof of booking for a flight scheduled for today.

Flybe employees can also take up the same offer by providing staff ID at ticket counters in rail stations.

First Rail Managing Director Steve Montgomery said: "Our rail services connect people and communities up and down the country and as a gesture of goodwill we want to ensure that anyone who was due to travel on Flybe’s grounded flights today can still complete their journey."

"Following a commercial decision by the company, Flybe has ceased trading", said a Government spokesman.

"We recognise the impact this will have on Flybe’s passengers and staff. Government staff will be on hand at all affected UK airports to help passengers.

"The vast majority of Flybe routes are served by different transport options, and we have asked bus and train operators to accept Flybe tickets and other airlines to offer reduced rescue fares to ensure passengers can make their journeys as smoothly as possible.

"We know this will be a worrying time for Flybe staff and our Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service stands ready to help them find a new job as soon as possible.

"We are working closely with industry to minimise any disruption to routes operated by Flybe, including by looking urgently at how routes not already covered by other airlines can be re-established by the industry.

“Flybe's financial difficulties were longstanding and well documented and pre-date the outbreak of COVID-19. We are well prepared a potential outbreak and this week we have set out an action plan with details of our response.”

Rory Boland, travel editor for Which? magazine added: "Coronavirus is hitting the aviation industry hard and this renewed speculation about the future of Flybe will be concerning for customers and for those who regularly use airports where the airline is the main carrier.

"While flights will be going ahead as normal for the time being, this is a stark reminder for passengers to ensure they have protections such as airline failure insurance and to book flights with a credit card so that they can reclaim the cost with their card issuer should an airline go bust.”