Flybe: UK government holds crunch meetings
Flybe - an airline in danger of becoming grounded - apparently does have a friend in high places.
UK prime minister Boris Johnson telling media on Tuesday the government's working hard to help the company.
(SOUNDBITE) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING:
"Be in no doubt that we see the importance of Flybe in delivering connectivity across the whole United Kingdom."
With the stricken regional carrier's finances at breaking point - and 2,000 jobs at risk - government officials were holding a crunch meeting to discuss options.
Top of the list, it's reported: a cut in air passenger taxes on domestic flights.
Other reports suggest Flybe might also be allowed to defer a 100 million pound payment for three years ...
If Flybe's owners - including Virgin Atlantic - invest tens of millions pounds of new equity.
The airline has 68 aircraft.
At its home base of Exeter in south west England, passengers were split over whether the government should intervene.
SOUNDBITE (English), UNNAMED PASSENGER, SAYING:
"We export into Europe a lot, and we have regular links with Amsterdam, so I fly Flybe to Amsterdam. We also go to City of London. So to lose that service for the local economy and local businesses is going to be a big blow."
SOUNDBITE (English), UNNAMED PASSENGER, SAYING:
"I think there's a limit to how much money the government should spend, certainly. Because the government needs the money for a lot of other things, the NHS not least."
Its routes include more than half of UK domestic flights outside London.
Tuesday's flights were said to be operating as normal.
