A pilot with doomed airline Flybe reached out to a devastated couple who'd arrived at an airport to find their trip was off to send a touching message - despite his own job being at risk.

David and Angela Manners, from Lyme Regis, were 'absolutely gutted' to arrive at Exeter airport yesterday morning to be told their flight would not go ahead.

Mr Manners, 58, had planned to whisk his wife to Paris - a surprise Christmas present - but the couple were disappointed to arrive at the airport to find out Flybe had collapsed, with all remaining flights cancelled.

He said it was a 'big shock' when he handed their boarding passes to airport staff only to be told the company had gone into administration.

Touchingly, the pilot who had been due to fly the couple got in touch with Mr Manners to offer an apology - despite his own troubling predicament.

Mr Manners said: "We were really looking forward to it. We got to the airport at 6am on Thursday and had missed the news about Flybe. When we got to Exeter Airport and got our boarding passes out they said 'you are not going anywhere, have you not heard the news?' We were absolutely gutted."

Mr Manners flies regularly and knows some of Flybe's cabin crew, having taught some of them during his time as a teacher at Woodroffe School. Despite his trip being ruined, he says it's Flybe's staff he feels for.

"At first I was disappointed but then I thought of the people whose livelihoods are at risk," he said. "It put it all into perspective. It's so sad."

The pilot who had been due to fly the Manners' to Paris heard about the couple's plight via another news outlet and reached out to Mr Manners. In a message, he said: "I was due to be your captain for today's flight and I just wanted to say how sorry I am. I was looking forward to flying you today and went to bed hoping against hopes that we'd have something sorted. Please accept my best wishes and I hope you still manage to have your well-earned trip away."

Mr Manners said: "During what must be a very difficult time for him, he found time to contact a passenger to say he was thinking of them. It was very touching."