Negotiations Officer John Stevenson said: “The current financial climate has severely limited the options available to Flybe. This decision certainly secures the medium term viability of the airline.

“There are a number of external influences that have had an impact on the Flybe business, notably the recession and high levels of air passenger duty (APD). However, the absence of a coherent aviation policy from the government is possibly the biggest influence.”

Stevenson called on the government to act now because the exit of Flybe from Gatwick means that the UK regions are now effectively cut off from the capital’s major aviation hubs, further damaging the competitive edge of UK PLC.

“The potential impact on engineering employees is not known, but discussions and consultation will be undertaken if required,” said Stevenson.