Buster the Bear
15th Mar 2006, 10:27
Poor take-off sees airline grounded
AN ill-fated flight linking Oxford and Cambridge has folded just over a month after it got airborne.
Sky Commuter announced yesterday (Monday, 13 March) that it would be taking no more bookings for the route linking the two university cities.
The company said its investors - Mercia Capital - ceased its funding over the weekend.
Starting the service in the winter and not launching a full advertising campaign could be two factors behind its failure.
A statement from Sky Commuter said it stopped operating the twice daily, eight-seater shuttle service on Friday. It said: "After 12 weeks of solid marketing, press coverage and interviews with past passengers it has become evident that the requirement for air travel on the route is not sustainable to even operate an eight seat aircraft. Route studies compiled before the start of operation had indicated a stronger requirement for the service than has actually materialised.
"All passengers with current advance bookings will be informed in writing of the cancellation of the route and will receive a full refund."
Chris Kington, of Chris Kington Publishing in Rathmore Road, Cambridge, was one of the passengers caught out by the end of the service. He confirmed his flight on Friday, but was told it had been cancelled when he arrived at Cambridge Airport yesterday (Monday, 13 March) morning. He said: "I try to support local business and was extremely inconvenienced to say the least."
The Sky Commuter service hit a hurdle on its first day of commercial operation on February 1. News reporter Catherine Bruce and photographer Matthew Power were left waiting for their morning departure from Cambridge for more than three hours because of fog and two of their fellow passengers opted to drive instead. When the flight eventually did get going, it was unable to fly directly to Oxford and had to land at an RAF base 15 miles from the city instead.
Passenger levels on the service failed to take off over its five weeks of operation and remained at around just 30 per cent. Nick Rowley, chief executive of the Nutricius Group, the firm behind Sky Commuter, said it had needed to achieve around 60-70 per cent. He said most passengers had been academics or business people.
It is understood Sky Commuter owes Marshall Aerospace around £1,500 for fuel. Sky Commuter said Mercia Capital would be dealing with bill settlement.
Terry Holloway, group support executive for Marshall's, said: "We are disappointed the route has not proved to be viable.
"The flight appeared to be popular and provided a much-needed and fast means of transport between Oxford and Cambridge. It is very disappointing for the travelling public they will not be able to fly between these two cities."
Mr Rowley said he was "disappointed" the service had ceased and he thought it needed longer to become established. He said there was a requirement for an Oxford-Cambridge service but said support was needed from local government and transport agencies.
"One of the problems is that nobody has been prepared to put any investment into it," he said. "Everyone wants to see the route but nobody is really prepared to do anything about it."
Sky Commuter will continue operations in charter and schedule flights to corporate, social and sporting events.
AN ill-fated flight linking Oxford and Cambridge has folded just over a month after it got airborne.
Sky Commuter announced yesterday (Monday, 13 March) that it would be taking no more bookings for the route linking the two university cities.
The company said its investors - Mercia Capital - ceased its funding over the weekend.
Starting the service in the winter and not launching a full advertising campaign could be two factors behind its failure.
A statement from Sky Commuter said it stopped operating the twice daily, eight-seater shuttle service on Friday. It said: "After 12 weeks of solid marketing, press coverage and interviews with past passengers it has become evident that the requirement for air travel on the route is not sustainable to even operate an eight seat aircraft. Route studies compiled before the start of operation had indicated a stronger requirement for the service than has actually materialised.
"All passengers with current advance bookings will be informed in writing of the cancellation of the route and will receive a full refund."
Chris Kington, of Chris Kington Publishing in Rathmore Road, Cambridge, was one of the passengers caught out by the end of the service. He confirmed his flight on Friday, but was told it had been cancelled when he arrived at Cambridge Airport yesterday (Monday, 13 March) morning. He said: "I try to support local business and was extremely inconvenienced to say the least."
The Sky Commuter service hit a hurdle on its first day of commercial operation on February 1. News reporter Catherine Bruce and photographer Matthew Power were left waiting for their morning departure from Cambridge for more than three hours because of fog and two of their fellow passengers opted to drive instead. When the flight eventually did get going, it was unable to fly directly to Oxford and had to land at an RAF base 15 miles from the city instead.
Passenger levels on the service failed to take off over its five weeks of operation and remained at around just 30 per cent. Nick Rowley, chief executive of the Nutricius Group, the firm behind Sky Commuter, said it had needed to achieve around 60-70 per cent. He said most passengers had been academics or business people.
It is understood Sky Commuter owes Marshall Aerospace around £1,500 for fuel. Sky Commuter said Mercia Capital would be dealing with bill settlement.
Terry Holloway, group support executive for Marshall's, said: "We are disappointed the route has not proved to be viable.
"The flight appeared to be popular and provided a much-needed and fast means of transport between Oxford and Cambridge. It is very disappointing for the travelling public they will not be able to fly between these two cities."
Mr Rowley said he was "disappointed" the service had ceased and he thought it needed longer to become established. He said there was a requirement for an Oxford-Cambridge service but said support was needed from local government and transport agencies.
"One of the problems is that nobody has been prepared to put any investment into it," he said. "Everyone wants to see the route but nobody is really prepared to do anything about it."
Sky Commuter will continue operations in charter and schedule flights to corporate, social and sporting events.