Dismay over proposed airline job losses in Highlands

There has been dismay following budget airline Flybe's announcement it is proposing to make 35 people redundant in Inverness.

The Exeter-based airline wants to cut 500 cabin crew, pilots and engineering staff overall.

The firm has confirmed it has started the consultation process with staff.

It also indicated it was business as usual with regard to flights to and from Inverness.

An airlien spokesman said: “A review of the number of Flybe bases, to remove surplus aircraft capacity wherever necessary and improve aircraft and crew utilisation, has determined that Flybe will no longer have a requirement to base aircraft in Inverness with effect from 31st March 2014 with the proposed loss through redundancies, following consultations, of its 35 employees.

“Flybe remains fully committed to delivering unrivalled regional connectivity throughout the UK to and from Inverness and can reassure its passengers that they can continue to book with confidence.”

Flybe will cease to operate services to Gatwick from Inverness at the end of March next year.

It sold the arrival and departure slots at the London airport to rivals easyJet, which is committed to operating early morning and evening services between the Highland capital and Gatwick, which are particularly popular with business travellers.

Saad Hammad, Flybe’s chief executive officer, said: “It is a matter of great regret that many valued and hard-working colleagues will leave the company and that we are having to close our Inverness base.

“The proposed redundancy process will be done fairly in order to deliver an equitable outcome for all employees involved, provide the best possible platform for future company growth and secure the long term employment for the remainder of our staff.”

In addition to Inverness, there are proposed redundancies at Aberdeen (12 proposed redundancies), Edinburgh (49) and Glasgow (37), and south of the border at Exeter (116), Birmingham (49), Manchester (13), Newcastle (17), Southampton (17), and elsewhere Belfast city (52), Guernsey (12), Isle of Man (49), and Jersey (35).

He added: “We are committed to connecting the UK’s regions and we intend to continue flying to these airports after the base closures.

“I know that these proposals are creating great personal uncertainty but they are necessary to secure a long-term future for Flybe and I am grateful to the various union and staff representatives for the very constructive manner in which we have been able to commence the consultation process. I hope that the detail of the proposed base closures and staff cuts will further assist that process.”

Flybe operates Inverness’s flagship route to Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, underpinned by a £450,000 public-funding deal, which ends in September 2014. The airline also operates services from Inverness to Benbecula, Belfast, Birmingham, Manchester, Stornoway, Sumburgh and Kirkwall, as well as seasonal flights to Jersey, Geneva and Zurich.

Flybe employs 2700 people in the UK and reported a pre-tax profit of £13.8 million for the six months to the end of September. This compares to a loss of £1.6 million during the same period last year.

Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s (SCDI) Highlands and Islands manager Fraser Grieve said: “It is disappointing to hear of the proposed loss of 133 Flybe jobs across Scotland, including 35 at Inverness and 12 at Aberdeen, and clearly this will be a concerning time for all the staff affected.

“Whilst Flybe have proposed closing their bases at Inverness and Aberdeen, questions remain over the routes they operate and how these will be affected. Air connectivity is vital for the region’s economy and the SCDI will be working with others to make the strongest case for the future of our air links.”

A spokesman for Highlands and Islands Airports Limited, which operates Inverness Airport, said: “This is obviously a challenging period for Flybe as it works to reduce costs and place the business on a more sustainable footing.

“Inverness is one of many regional airports across Scotland and the UK affected by this restructuring.

“Clearly there are implications for Flybe’s employees and the airline will be consulting with its staff. It remains to be seen what, if any, impact this announcement will have on routes to and from the Highlands. This is an ongoing consultation.”

Local MP Danny Alexander described the decision as 'deeply regrettable' for the Highlands.

He said: "As a regular traveller I know many of the crew personally and I know how hard they work to make Inverness one of Flybe's more successful destination.

"The locally based staff are a huge asset to Flybe, and I am sorry that the company feels unable to continue with its base in Inverness. The airline will need to do all it can to help its staff find alternative employment.

“I am grateful for the firm reassurances that the company has given about its commitment to flying from Inverness airport and its intention to retain its other routes when the Gatwick link closes next March.

“It is obviously right that the Flybe management is getting to grips with its business problems, but I hope they might be persuaded to rethink this decision on the basis of a longer term strategy.

"With routes to Amsterdam, Manchester, and Birmingham all regularly crewed from the Highlands, and future growth potential, it would be a great shame if the ability to grow future services with locally based crew from the north of Scotland were undermined by this.

"With successful routes from both Inverness and Aberdeen, it would surely be in the long term interests of Flybe for some staff to be able to be based locally. I will be raising this directly with senior management from the airline and I hope others locally will do likewise."

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