The first Loganair flight on the Liverpool route formerly operated by Flybe was due to take off today (Thursday).

And the Scottish airline said it was in advanced talks with the Manx government about taking over the Manchester and Birmingham routes too.

But Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer said there is a real fear in the aviation industry that coronavirus could destroy ’airlines and routes’.

He told the House of Keys that his officers had ’worked day and night’ to reinstate services following the demise of Flybe last week.

He told MHKs: ’As a result, I am pleased to announce that from Thursday, Loganair will operate a twice-daily scheduled service to Liverpool. This will operate seven days a week.’

Mr Harmer said this was an ’interim solution’ while negotiations continue over the routes formerly operated by Flybe.

He said he had put Liverpool top of the list of destinations, despite EasyJet also operating that route, because of the needs of the patient transfer service.

’I know that lots of people have been affected by Flybe’s collapse and that many people have lost out on trips and are having to make alternative arrangements,’ he said.

’Despite this, I think we need to put the needs of those travelling to and from medical appointments first.’

He said many people rely on the Manchester and Birmingham services and he was pleased to say there are a number of airlines interested in taking over these routes.

But he said this was a nervous time for the aviation industry, and having met the chairman of one airline himself at the weekend, he was aware there is a ’real fear that coronavirus, or more properly the fear of coronavirus, will destroy airlines and their routes’.

The Minister added: ’Whilst I would have been normally very bullish about the ability of our busy routes to attract a new operator, the industry fear of coronavirus means that I am simply optimistic.’

Mr Harmer said an announcement on these routes will be made as soon as something is agreed and hopefully this will be in the ’next week or so’.

Interim service

Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said: ’We understand how important this link is to the Isle of Man, and we have worked with the Isle of Man Government to provide this initial interim service.

’We fully expect to announce an expansion of our services in the coming weeks. We are interested in principle in providing a further range of services to and from the Isle of Man, including operating the Liverpool route on a permanent basis and are in advanced talks about restoring the Manchester and Birmingham routes, also lost in the collapse of Flybe.’

The Liverpool route will be operated by 33-seat Saab 340 aircraft ’wet-leased’ from Estonian airline NyxAir.

’Assuming we move the operation onto a longer-term basis, we would be introducing larger aircraft to the Isle of Man-Liverpool route,’ a Logan-air spokesman said.

Loganair flights leave from Ronaldsway at 7.45am and 4.45pm and leave Liverpool at 9am and 6pm.

Prices for a return flight to Liverpool have soared since Flybe’s departure - Loganair will charge £290.97 for a return flight departing Monday March 23 and returning the following Friday evening.

Easyjet is charging £392.98 for a return flight on those same days.

Loganair already operates services from the Ronaldsway to Edinburgh and to London City on behalf of BA CityFlyer.