Birmingham-Edinburgh Flybe passengers only discovered they were diverted to Manchester after landing there and checking Google Maps

The collapse of Flybe has put 2,000 jobs at risk.

Passengers on an Edinburgh bound Flybe flight only discovered they were diverted to Manchester after landing there and checking Google Maps, as the company entered administration.

A West Lothian man travelling on the evening Wednesday flight from Birmingham captured flight tracker images of the aircraft turning sharply left and heading south around the Scottish border.

But the 36-year-old, who did not want to be named, said nobody on board was told about the diversion. He said one of the pilots later told passengers on the ground they had been diverted to refuel, but shortly afterwards referred to news reports of the company’s collapse.

The Birmingham-Edinburgh Flybe flight was diverted to Manchester without passengers knowing. Pic: FlightRadar/Google Maps

Two coaches were arranged to take passengers back to the Capital overnight, while other passengers booked local hotels.

A flight from Birmingham to Glasgow last night was also understood to have been diverted to Manchester amid the turmoil.

The man, who was in Birmingham for a work event, said: “We were up in the air for about an hour and 20 minutes and landed. I put my phone on instantly to check the football results and got a message from my boss who was on the Glasgow flight to say they were in Manchester. I looked at Google Maps and saw that we were in Manchester.”

He said the pilot came and spoke directly to passengers and was apologetic, despite learning her own job was on the line.

The man described seeing and hearing lots of “hustle and bustle” after she made the announcement.

He continued: “We taxied along for about 25 minutes then looked out the windows and we had parked in amongst some Thomas Cook planes. We were in a plane graveyard.”

He said passengers were taken into the airport and later boarded two 40-seater coaches which left after midnight, arriving at Edinburgh Airport just before 6am on Thursday.

The man added: “It’s one of these things you see on the news but never imagine it would happen to you. I felt like I was in some kind of surreal world.”

Flybe collapse

Hundreds of passengers travelling to and from Edinburgh were left stranded after Flybe went into administration putting 2,000 jobs at risk

Passengers were told not to come to the airport as all Flybe services were cancelled with immediate effect in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The budget carrier partly blamed coronavirus for a drop in demand which sealed its fate after failing to secure a £100 million government loan.

Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe served 12 destinations from Edinburgh including London, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton and Exeter.

The airline operated around 30 flights a day through the airport, and counted for eight per cent of the airport’s passenger base.

Scottish airline Loganair has since announced it is to take over 16 of collapsed carrier Flybe's routes with nearly 400 extra flights a week.

Loganair has announced it will plug the gap by flying from Edinburgh to Cardiff, Exeter, Manchester, Newquay and Southampton.

The routes will be launched between 16 March and 6 July, and operate between once a week and daily.

Amid Flybe’s collapse, several other travel operators stepped in to help those left stranded get home.

Avanti West Coast, LNER, TransPennine Express and CrossCountry have offered free train travel to anyone with a Flybe booking.

Flybe customers can also purchase discounted tickets from Ryanair and EasyJet.

Flybe was bought by a consortium of Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital in February 2019, after running into earlier financial problems.

In a statement, chief executive Mark Anderson said the company had made "every possible attempt" to avoid collapse but had been "unable to overcome significant funding challenges".

Flybe has been a key part of the UK aviation industry for decades and is vital for connecting regional communities, people and businesses across the region.

Missing Scotland v France rugby match

Air passengers heading north to Edinburgh for the Scotland v France rugby match on Sunday may now be struggling to make it.

Among them is Jimmy Butters, who had bought tickets with Flybe to travel from his home in South Devon to Edinburgh for the game.

The 49-year-old now faces missing the match as other air or train routes are too expensive or take too long for him to be back in time for work on Monday, and the distance is too far to drive on his own.

“I’m absolutely gutted, the last time I missed a Scotland match at home was 2013,” he said.

A primary school teacher and maths tutor, Mr Butters moved south from his home in Dundee 40 years ago.

He regularly travels back for rugby matches, almost always with Flybe.

“I had my accomodation booked in Edinburgh, along with a meal at a restaurant in Leith,” he said.

“There are going to be fewer people in Edinburgh because of this, and I’m worried about the economic impact that’s going to have.”

Edinburgh Airport – ‘connectivity is crucial’

A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “We are sorry that Flybe has gone into administration and ceased operations - our thoughts are with Flybe employees at this difficult time.

“We are assessing the impact on our operations and any passengers due to travel with Flybe should not come to the airport as those flights will not be operating.

“Connectivity across the islands of the UK is crucial for families, business and tourists and it is important that the UK Government works quickly and decisively to maintain the links across the UK.”

Alex Cole-Hamilton, LibDem MSP for Edinburgh Western, wrote on Twitter: “Flybe had some key routes out of Edinburgh Airport in my constituency, many staff live locally. My thoughts are with them today and the resources of my office are available to anyone affected to help with what’s to come over the weeks and months ahead.”