Originally Posted by
mathers_wales_uk
Why is the Cardiff operation such a surprise for CityJet? It was a gap left behind when Flybe decided to pull out and passenger numbers suggest that the F50 maybe the correct size against the Q400.
Unlike the Cambridge the flight times tend to cater for the business passenger with leisure routes to Jersey and Paris Orly.
It is a shame that there wasn't a bigger lead time however many passengers that have used the service give it a big thumbs up.
I can't fault the quality of CityJet service - I think the passengers get a very good product. My issue (with the Cardiff routes, and even more so with the Cambridge routes) is whether they can make economic sense for the airline. Personally I don't think they can. (Flybe has a lower cost base than CityJet and a strong brand which can stimulate additional traffic. So while there was a gap in the market, I'm not sure there's a market in the gap.) But we'll see in due course.