Flybe collapsed in March this year, with the loss of hundreds of jobs. Its demise was hastened by the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Flybe, subject to conditions, has been bought out of administration by Thyme Opco Ltd, the company is affiliated with the hedge fund Cyrus Capital, a shareholder in Flybe before it fell into administration.

Unite has already contacted the administrator EY for further details about the sale and is "seeking an urgent meeting with Thyme Opco Ltd".

Unite national officer for civil aviation Oliver Richardson said: “Whilst we welcome the news, it is important that Thyme Opco clarifies just what kind of service it intends to run, the scale of its operations and the financial support for it ambitions.

“Many of the excellent Flybe staff who lost their jobs through no fault of their own have since struggled to find comparable work. Unite will be seeking commitments that they will have the first opportunity to apply for new positions with the resurrected airline."