CAMBRIDGE
davidjohnson6
I would have thought that it would continue. It's totally separate from City Jet, being operated as a charter/schedule by Blue Islands. That is, unless the airfield closes to commercial movements.
I would have thought that it would continue. It's totally separate from City Jet, being operated as a charter/schedule by Blue Islands. That is, unless the airfield closes to commercial movements.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 697
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The ownership of the airport puts it in a different position to others; the family owning it have a large engineering works based there and have been strongly resisting LA efforts to move the business to an alternative airfield outside Cambridge and zone the land for housing.
However if that ever changes then I expect Cambridge will head down the same route as Sheffield, Plymouth, Manston, Blackpool and doubtless others to follow.
I strongly believe that the number of people travelling to Cambridge means that it can support a successful service to Amsterdam. But it needs to run at sensible times, be advertised, and have through ticketing arrangements in place. Over the past few months I've repeatedly wanted to fly from Cambridge via Amsterdam, but never been able to because the timetable was just silly.
Perhaps only KLM could manage such a service; and as they manged to operate to even Manston I'm sure they could if they wanted to. However with Norwich being so close by I doubt they will come across such a desire.
However if that ever changes then I expect Cambridge will head down the same route as Sheffield, Plymouth, Manston, Blackpool and doubtless others to follow.
I strongly believe that the number of people travelling to Cambridge means that it can support a successful service to Amsterdam. But it needs to run at sensible times, be advertised, and have through ticketing arrangements in place. Over the past few months I've repeatedly wanted to fly from Cambridge via Amsterdam, but never been able to because the timetable was just silly.
Perhaps only KLM could manage such a service; and as they manged to operate to even Manston I'm sure they could if they wanted to. However with Norwich being so close by I doubt they will come across such a desire.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Suffolk, Diss, UK
Age: 50
Posts: 677
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
KLM could work yes, but I just think with Norwich been up the A11 I very much doubt they would want to desturb their operation there that has been going for such a long time.
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Outer London
Age: 43
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
With around 40 pax per day heading to DUB at slightly off-peak times on fares that aren't especially cheap, perhaps EIR/Stobart might be interested? It is unlikely to interfere with the SEN catchment.
I can't really see anything else at CBG for the reasons mentioned
I can't really see anything else at CBG for the reasons mentioned
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Darwen, UK
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cambridge's only scheduled flights - Cityjet services to Amsterdam and Dublin - terminate on Saturday and it isn't known whether or not they'll return.
I flew on the Cambridge to Dublin route on Sunday and thought you might be interested in a few pics.
The airport itself is a couple of miles east of Cambridge town centre on the A1303. It isn't visible from the main road - you go into the car park where you will see this entrance in the corner:
Follow the path around and the airport is behind the car park/Marshall Aerospace building:
The check-in area is small but pleasant and the staff are very polite:
The departure lounge looks quite swish and there's a small café round the corner. Wi-Fi is free and unlimited.
The flight was on time, here's the plane:
There were only 16 of us on a 52 seater so based on that I can understand why Cityjet want to can the route. This is my view from the back seat
After Saturday Oct 25th, there won't be anymore commercial passenger flights from Cambridge until their weekly flights to the French and Swiss Alps in December.
However, despite the lack of scheduled flights until next summer (Verona and Jersey) I doubt the airport is in any trouble as the airport is owned and operated by Marshall Aerospace, a Cambridge company who handle aviation and military contracts, with their sizable headquarters dwarfing the terminal building which is hidden well behind the HQ. There were some large (non passenger) planes being worked on when I arrived. The airport has survived without scheduled services before, so I doubt this airport is going anywhere.
I read an article this morning about increased rail services between Cambridge and Stansted Airport (30 minutes journey direct) but I doubt it will threaten Cambridge Airport.
Greater Anglia says new train services between Stansted Airport and Cambridge are on track | Bishops Stortford Herts & Essex Observer
I flew on the Cambridge to Dublin route on Sunday and thought you might be interested in a few pics.
The airport itself is a couple of miles east of Cambridge town centre on the A1303. It isn't visible from the main road - you go into the car park where you will see this entrance in the corner:
Follow the path around and the airport is behind the car park/Marshall Aerospace building:
The check-in area is small but pleasant and the staff are very polite:
The departure lounge looks quite swish and there's a small café round the corner. Wi-Fi is free and unlimited.
The flight was on time, here's the plane:
There were only 16 of us on a 52 seater so based on that I can understand why Cityjet want to can the route. This is my view from the back seat
After Saturday Oct 25th, there won't be anymore commercial passenger flights from Cambridge until their weekly flights to the French and Swiss Alps in December.
However, despite the lack of scheduled flights until next summer (Verona and Jersey) I doubt the airport is in any trouble as the airport is owned and operated by Marshall Aerospace, a Cambridge company who handle aviation and military contracts, with their sizable headquarters dwarfing the terminal building which is hidden well behind the HQ. There were some large (non passenger) planes being worked on when I arrived. The airport has survived without scheduled services before, so I doubt this airport is going anywhere.
I read an article this morning about increased rail services between Cambridge and Stansted Airport (30 minutes journey direct) but I doubt it will threaten Cambridge Airport.
Greater Anglia says new train services between Stansted Airport and Cambridge are on track | Bishops Stortford Herts & Essex Observer
Last edited by litefoot1; 21st Oct 2014 at 11:28.
Join Date: May 2008
Location: 24,000 feet and climbing
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks for your review litefoot1. Quite interesting. What was it about CBG that made you decide to fly to DUB from there instead of from STN, just up the road, where there is more frequency and (perhaps) lower fares to DUB?
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Darwen, UK
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nice set of photos. Thanks.
Not the most imposing entrance to an airport terminal, is it?
Not the most imposing entrance to an airport terminal, is it?
Thanks for your review litefoot1. Quite interesting. What was it about CBG that made you decide to fly to DUB from there instead of from STN, just up the road, where there is more frequency and (perhaps) lower fares to DUB?
I've just noticed that the 'France and Swiss Alps' destination page on the Cambridge Airport website now returns a 404, and they've been removed from the destination list. Only Jersey and Verona, for Summer 2015, remain on the list. I'm trying to find out if they've been terminated as well. Surely not.
Last edited by litefoot1; 22nd Oct 2014 at 15:53.
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Darwen, UK
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've just noticed that the 'France and Swiss Alps' destination page on the Cambridge Airport website now returns a 404, and they've been removed from the destination list. Only Jersey and Verona, for Summer 2015, remain on the list. I'm trying to find out if they've been terminated as well. Surely not.
Inghams have indeed dropped the route. So there will be no more commercial passenger flights from Cambridge until next summer.
Nothing in the news yet about whether the flights will be transferred to another airport or cancelled entirely and the travellers refunded.
Not a great month for Cambridge Airport, losing three of their routes. However, I don't think the airport is in any danger.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Suffolk, Diss, UK
Age: 50
Posts: 677
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Norwich announced ski flights a month ago, could be where the passengers already booked will be transferred too.
EDIT: just seen different company doing NWI flights, so probably nothing to do with it
EDIT: just seen different company doing NWI flights, so probably nothing to do with it
**Thread drift alert**
How about this one?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/swbkcb/14989394313/
Not the most imposing entrance to an airport terminal, is it?
The most understated entrance I have seen at a UK airport.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/swbkcb/14989394313/
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Darwen, UK
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Confirmation from Cambridge News that the France and Swiss Alps route has been dropped by Inghams. However, they plan to return next summer.
Tour operator Inghams ends winter flights from Cambridge Airport to Geneva | Cambridge News
Tour operator Inghams ends winter flights from Cambridge Airport to Geneva | Cambridge News
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 697
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Loadings for May - September:
Dublin 13%, 20%, 33%, 40%, 34%
Amsterdam 10%, 16%, 20%, 22%, 30% (Albeit the 30% was after people would have had their flights combined).
With more bad publicity surrounding the cancellation of the winter services Cambridge has an uphill task in terms of publicity.
The Darwin death was slow and painful; those who tried to brave them endured a million cuts, re-timings, and cancellations.
There has now been two more rounds of publicity for cancellations, which for some passengers will have been preceeded by two rounds of retimings. Further, CityJet's Facebook suggests that they are awful about paying refunds, meaning it might be likely there will be further bad publicity.
Had it not been for that, the numbers would have persuaded me that it was possible for an airline with better publicity (EI or FlyBe) to operate some kind of service to Dublin, and that while they would never want to, KLM could operate a service to Amsterdam.
Dublin 13%, 20%, 33%, 40%, 34%
Amsterdam 10%, 16%, 20%, 22%, 30% (Albeit the 30% was after people would have had their flights combined).
With more bad publicity surrounding the cancellation of the winter services Cambridge has an uphill task in terms of publicity.
The Darwin death was slow and painful; those who tried to brave them endured a million cuts, re-timings, and cancellations.
There has now been two more rounds of publicity for cancellations, which for some passengers will have been preceeded by two rounds of retimings. Further, CityJet's Facebook suggests that they are awful about paying refunds, meaning it might be likely there will be further bad publicity.
Had it not been for that, the numbers would have persuaded me that it was possible for an airline with better publicity (EI or FlyBe) to operate some kind of service to Dublin, and that while they would never want to, KLM could operate a service to Amsterdam.
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Antrim
Posts: 1,601
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
EIR could easily fill an ATR-42 possibly daily. They have ran quite a few routes 4/5 weekly and that could definitely work, adding the US and Canada connections would be brilliant. From Cambridge to LHR or LGW can be awful in traffic and a cross city trek by train at great expense, DUB would be a winner. I agree BE could possibly make a go of it, especially with EI codeshare like at SEN.