Flybe shares up following reports that IAG is interested in buying it
British Airways owner International Airlines Group is reportedly interested in joining the race to buy Flybe, according to reports over the weekend.
IAG has not commented on the speculation, but the report in The Sunday Telegraph has pushed Flybe’s shares up, with stock up 40% in early trading on Monday morning, settling later at around 20% up.
The unconfirmed report cited industry sources who said IAG had joined Virgin Atlantic in looking to snap up the business.
Flybe had already climbed by 70% on Friday after Virgin Atlantic confirmed it was in talks to buy the regional carrier.
Virgin issued a statement saying it is ‘reviewing its options in respect of Flybe which range from enhanced commercial arrangements to a possible offer for Flybe’.
The pair already have a trading and codeshare relationship.
Flybe’s Board also issued a statement noting the recent ‘media speculation’.
It said Virgin Atlantic is ‘one of the parties’ it is in discussions with as part of the formal sale process announced earlier this month.
"There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any offer will be made. Further announcements will be made in due course as appropriate," it said.
The announcements helped push up Flybe’s share price by 50% to 14.50p in midday trading.
It is believed a purchase of Flybe would give Virgin opportunities to feed UK regional traffic into its long-haul network, plus valuable take-off and landing slots at London Heathrow Airport which are ring-fenced for domestic flights.
Virgin’s interest in Flybe comes four years after announcing the closure of Little Red, an earlier attempt to crack the domestic UK market.
Rothschild, the investment bank, is advising Virgin Atlantic on its interest in Flybe.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season