http://www.airlinerworld.comwww.airlinerworld.com 9191A Virgin Start-Up
CityJet (WX) was founded
in 1992 by Irish Businessman
Pat Byrne and pioneered
scheduled services between
London City and Dublin with a
five-times-daily flight starting
on January 12, 1994. The route
was flown under a franchise agree-
ment with Virgin Atlantic until July
19 97, when CityJet began to operate
under its own identity.
In its formative years, the carrier
failed to make a profit, so in January1997 a rescue plan was announced,
with creditors writing off £6m debts.
Malmö Aviation of Sweden purchased
a 43% stake, but less than 12 months
later sold its shareholding to private
Irish investors following disagree-
ments over the future of the company.
UK cargo operator Air Foyle made a
successful bid for CityJet in April 1999.
It was hoped that the deal would return
the airline to profitability by develop-
ing its burgeoning relationship with
Air France, for which it had already
undertaken flights on a franchiseThe Avro RJ85
continues to be the
mainstay for CityJet’s
scheduled operations,
with the fleet num-
bering 15 examples.
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PAUL MARAIS-HAYER