Passengers stranded across 25 European locations after Flybmi cancels all its flights.

The airline said that uncertainty over Brexit and rises in fuel and carbon costs have led to it filing for administration. The airline had 17 small jet aircraft carried 522,000 passengers on 29,000 flights in 2018. However, the airline was experiencing heavy losses, and no other organisation was prepared to put in extra funding. The average passenger load per flight was just 18, meaning the small regional jet planes were less than half full.

Flybmi has told affected travellers they won’t be able to refund them and instead contact their insurance and credit card companies. Flybmi issued the following advice to those with flights booked:

People who booked directly with Flybmi should contact their card issuer to seek a refund.

Passengers who booked via a travel agent or one of Flybmi’s partner airlines should contact them to ask about their options.

Those with travel insurance should see if they are eligible to claim for cancelled flights.

A spokesperson for Flybmi said: “It is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement. The airline has faced several difficulties, including recent spikes in fuel and carbon costs, the latter arising from the EU’s recent decision to exclude UK airlines from full participation in the Emissions Trading Scheme, Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe.”

What happens to stranded passengers?

Tickets issued directly by Flybmi are now worthless. The airline has no assets, so cannot offer refunds. However, some airlines have stepped in to offer special prices on replacement flights. Ryanair has been selling tickets between Belfast and Stanstead for £9.99 to affected customers.

If you have travel insurance, this may cover additional costs, such as hotel accommodation and transport.

What happens to passengers with future bookings?

For bookings with Flybmi, the standard procedure will be to contact your card issuer to begin the process of obtaining a refund. For passengers whose bookings were made as part of a package holiday deal, contact the tour operator or travel agents to see how they are willing to help with replacement flights.