The piece that will be interesting in the merger of Cityjet and Stobart is what role the Flybe franchise will play. To date it would not appear to be the most ideal relationship, while supporting the Flybe brand on a selection of routes ex SEN and then the ops ex IOM, Flybe went into competition on Stobart Air routes, e.g. most notable CWL-DUB. It would seem illogical that Flybe want to create financial challenges for its customer ....
We will see how this pans out and I would be interesting to know how is the relationship between Stobart and Flybe? Is it time to move forward with a bigger brand for the Southend operation, i.e. BA? Of course that would have to be what BA would want, but it could be a move worth considering. I suggested this at the outset before the Flybe announcement was made... The new jets may also open up new opportunities.