CityJet sold?

Next Friday (22 February) the Air France (AF) annual media briefing being held in Paris could be the catalyst for unveiling a CityJet suitor.  The airline, established in 1992 with its hub at London City Airport (LCY), has been fully owned by AF since 2002, is a loss maker, and is up for sale.  AF is on record as saying that two potential buyers are lined up.  The airline includes VLM Airlines which has a separate AOC but likewise is branded as Air France.

CityJet, with about 35% of the LCY traffic, is the largest carrier at the airport, just in front of British Airways.  It currently operates 22 routes and recently introduced a twice daily Nuremburg service.  Whoever finally buys the carrier will require a serious new fleet investment, the airline at the present time operating 15 Fokker 50 turboprops and 23 Avro RJ85 jets.  ATR and Embraer aircraft could replace these elderly machines.

Air France is the longest established carrier at the airport, the initial partner of Brymon Airways when it introduced services in November 1987.  Instead of Charles de Gaulle, its original Paris destination, it now offers six times daily flights (with restricted weekend services) to Orly. www.cityjet.com

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