Dave Pflieger
Collapsed airline Flybe has taken a step closer to being
reborn with the appointment of Dave Pflieger as chief executive.
Flybe ceased operations in March 2020 as the pandemic began to hit
global air travel despite having been in talks with the government over a cash
injection. It had been in financial trouble for a long time prior to closing down, having been acquired by Connect Airways, a consortium made up of
Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital.
Prior to its collapse, the Exeter, UK-based carrier was one
of Europe’s largest regional airlines.
A company associated with Cyrus Capital, Thyme Opco,
acquired Flybe’s assets in April 2021 and was later renamed Flybe Limited. It
had originally planned to restart flights this summer, but there is now no
official date on when these might begin, or which routes might be served.
Pflieger has held senior and chief executive roles at
several carriers including Delta Air Lines, Song, Virgin America and Silver
Airways. Most recently, he was CEO at Alaskan regional carrier Ravn Air Group.
He was also in charge of the turnaround and rebranding of Fiji Airways.
Kevin Hatton, chairman of Flybe, commented: “We are
extremely fortunate to have someone with Dave’s skills and track record of success
leading our new airline as it gets ready to start operations and serve key
regions in the UK and EU.”
Pflieger said: “The last 12 months have been intensely busy
for all of us here, but it has been very rewarding to know that we are soon
going to launch a new, better, stronger company that will build upon a
respected and well-known brand, create valuable industry jobs and once again
play a critical role in connecting regions and communities across the UK.”