Following the news that airline Flybe will not be providing any flights today (Thursday 5 March), the UK’s largest rail operator FirstGroup will offer a free ticket on its trains to all Flybe customers intending to travel during the coming week.

FirstGroup’s rail companies comprise Avanti West Coast; Great Western Railway; South Western Railway; TransPennine Express and Hull Trains.

Customers will need to provide a boarding pass or other valid proof of booking for a flight any time up to 23:59 on Wednesday 11 March. They should show this to employees at the station ticket office where they begin their journey and will be given a complimentary standard class ticket to their original flight destination, via any reasonable route. Flybe employees should show staff ID to take up the same offer.

First Rail Managing Director Steve Montgomery said:

“Our rail services connect people and communities up and down the country and as a gesture of goodwill we want to ensure that anyone who was due to travel on Flybe’s grounded flights today can still complete their journey.”

Exeter City Council has offered its support to employees of the collapsed airline Flybe.

Council Leader Phil Bialyk said he was “devastated” by the news that Flybe have gone into administration.