Newcastle staff among Flybe cuts

Airline Flybe is to cut about 300 jobs, a tenth of its UK workforce – including at its Newcastle base - as the troubled group plots a path back to profit.

Most of the planned redundancies are expected to come from the company's headquarters in Exeter, where up to 95 jobs could go, and from its Manchester and Newcastle bases.

A fifth of managers will also go, the firm said, along with one in 10 "overhead and production" staff.

The group is also considering outsourcing some support activities in addition to the redundancies, having already outsourced its call centre last month with the loss of 55 jobs. More than 100 jobs in catering, ground services and line maintenance could be transferred out of the company.

The cuts are part of a restructuring plan that aims to save £35m by 2014-15, costing £10m to £12m in the process.

Flybe aims to return to profit by the 2013-14 financial year. It has set itself the target of making a profit of £3 a seat after overheads in three to five years.