flybmi (Aberdeen Dyce) has announced it has ceased all operations as of Saturday, February 16 and filed for administration.

In a statement, the UK-based regional carrier blamed recent spikes in fuel costs and uncertainty surrounding the UK's impending departure from the European Union.

“It is with a heavy heart that we have made this unavoidable announcement today," a spokesman said.

"The airline has faced several difficulties, including recent spikes in fuel and carbon costs, the latter arising from the EU’s recent decision to exclude UK airlines from full participation in the Emissions Trading Scheme. These issues have undermined efforts to move the airline into profit. Current trading and future prospects have also been seriously affected by the uncertainty created by the Brexit process, which has led to our inability to secure valuable flying contracts in Europe and lack of confidence around bmi’s ability to continue flying between destinations in Europe."

“Against this background, it has become impossible for the airline’s shareholders to continue their extensive programme of funding into the business, despite investment totalling over GBP40 million (USD51.57 million) in the last six years. We sincerely regret that this course of action has become the only option open to us, but the challenges, particularly those created by Brexit, have proven to be insurmountable."

The regional carrier operated three E135s and fourteen E145s from Aberdeen Dyce to Esbjerg and Oslo Gardermoen, from Bristol International to Aberdeen, Brussels National, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt International, Hamburg Helmut Schmidt, Munich, Paris CDG, from Brussels to Nottingham East Midlands, Newcastle, GB and Nuremberg, from Frankfurt to Karlstad via Jönköping, from London Stansted to Londonderry City of Derry, from Munich to Brno, Lublin, Milan Bergamo, Norrköping, Rostock and Saarbrücken, and from Newcastle, GB to Stavanger.

flybmi also operated one of its ERJ-145s for Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National) on a wet-lease basis linking Brussels with Hannover, Strasbourg Enzheim and Turin Caselle. The airline is owned by Airline Investments Limited, a holding firm that also controls Loganair (LM, Glasgow International).