Chief Minister Howard Quayle hopes to be able to confirm, in the next few days, which airline will take on the former Flybe routes following the company’s collapse.

Flybe’s demise has left the island with no flights to Manchester or Birmingham, with Liverpool only being served by easyJet’s less frequent service.

Mr Quayle told IoM Today that the government is in talks with two airlines over the routes and the patient transfer contract.

While he would not be drawn on which airlines his government is negotiating with, Mr Quayle said it will be the ’best deal for the people of the Isle of Man’.

He added: ’If you rush it too much, then you will cost the tax payer and maybe not get the best deal. But because we have been working on planning for this type of event happening, then we have been able to hit the ground running.

’For me to be able to announce that I hope next week we will be able to confirm which provider will be taking over the services, shows that sort of quick turn around.’

Mr Quayle said that the short term aim for the government is to maintain as much of the recent services as possible, however with the corona virus outbreak in the UK leading to a downturn in demand for flights, the island may see a decrease.

Airline easyJet confirmed to the Examiner earlier this week it had ’consolidated’ some of it its flights to and from the island due to a downturn in demand for services.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care has provided an update for patients who need to travel off island for their care.

Patients who were due to travel with Flybe from today (March 6) through to Sunday (March 8) have been offered the opportunity to travel to the UK by this evening’s Ben-my-Chree sailing with accommodation and travel whilst in the UK to be funded by the department.

Patients booked on scheduled Flybe flights on Monday will start to be contacted this afternoon/tomorrow morning and offered the opportunity to travel to the UK with the Steam Packet. Accommodation and travel whilst in the UK will be funded by the department.

And for patients travelling between Tuesday, March 10 and Monday, March 16, the DHSC said it will issue an update ’as soon as possible’.

A spokesman added: ’We would greatly appreciate it if you do not telephone or email the Patient Transfer Office just yet unless you have immediate clinical concerns, in order that we may concentrate on bookings for patients needing to travel within the next few days.

’If your travel has not yet been booked by us and you are worried about securing a seat to get to or from your appointment then you are welcome to book your own travel and claim expenses in accordance with the guidance available online.’