Originally Posted by
Flightrider
It does rather sound as though Citywing is an airline (and I use that term loosely) in search of a subsidy. They have been seeking to raise new capital over the few months, but now have latched onto both possibilities in Alderney and Derry (using the Route Development Fund) to try to find some new subsidised routes to replace the loss of the Welsh PSO. It's not a show of strength for their core business if they are essentially becoming subsidy junkies. One hopes that a degree of due diligence is carried out before parting with any public funds in this direction.
I couldn't agree more. A few months ago on another thread here, someone suggested that Citywing might be a candidate for a Cork-Belfast service. I take the liberty of repeating
my comment at the time:
Read the
accident report from the last time Citywing (then called Manx2) flew from Belfast to Cork. Six people died as a result of a chain of events to which a near-total lack of oversight - or indeed operational management competence - on the part of both Citywing/Manx2 and the Spanish subcontractor were significant contributors. I (and probably quite a lot of other people in Ireland) would not trust Citywing/Manx2 to fly a kite on the beach, let alone a scheduled passenger service, and IMHO the sooner the CAA amends the ATOL regulations to eliminate this "sub-20-seat" loophole which shamefully allows them to stay in operation, the better. Let them stay far away from Belfast-Cork, and RIP those who lost their lives.
(For the avoidance of doubt: I am not casting any aspersions whatsoever on Links Air, who are a reputable airline (=AOC holder) which does some flying for Citywing/Manx2 among other business. My gripe is with pretend airlines who are unable to provide the level of safety oversight a passenger is entitled to expect from a real airline.)
I have no link to Citywing or to any related (or competing) business and I have no direct opinion on the best solution for Alderney air service. However I find it shameful that a front company like Citywing/Manx2 can masquerade as an UK airline without providing the protection or safety oversight to which a customer assumes they are entitled.