FlyBe collapse a shock to small firms who urge Government to deliver on its Broadband promise

Commenting on the news of FlyBe going into administration, FSB National Chairman Mike Cherry said: “FlyBe ran a number of important domestic routes linking different parts of the UK and its collapse is a blow to our regional economy.

“Public anxiety due to coronavirus has caused a slump in airline bookings, which has a knock-on effect on the thousands of small businesses who have used air travel to attend meetings.

“They will now, understandably, be wondering what is going to be done to replace these routes – this underlines the need for Government to invest in an integrated transport system, including rail.

“This also shows the importance of creating better digital infrastructure in order to allow more people to work from home and schedule meetings remotely.

“The announcement today that MPs will launch an inquiry into Broadband and road to 5G, assessing the Government’s pledge to ensure every home and business in the UK has gigabit-capable broadband by 2025, is welcome and goes some way to addressing these concerns.

“However, it must now deliver on its promise.”

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Media contacts
Anna Slater: 079707 48874/ Anna.Slater@fsb.org.uk