CityJet

CityJet is an Irish regional airline headquartered at Dublin Airport whose business has evolved from operating its own scheduled short-haul network into providing aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational services to larger European airlines under ACMI and wet-lease contracts. The company was established in 1992 as Business City Direct and began flying in December 1993. Its first regular service linked Dublin with London City Airport, initially under a franchise arrangement with Virgin Atlantic. The carrier subsequently added Brussels and Málaga and, from 1996, operated under its own CityJet identity after ending the Virgin franchise. The airline faced severe financial pressure near the end of the 1990s. Air Foyle acquired a substantial interest while assuming liabilities, and Air France invested in the business before becoming its sole owner in 2000. Under Air France ownership, CityJet became an important operator of smaller regional aircraft for the French group, complementing its own scheduled services with subcontracted flying. The relationship allowed Air France to serve routes requiring aircraft below 100 seats while using a lower-cost regional operating structure. During this period CityJet continued to operate selected services in its own name, especially from London City Airport, while also supporting Air France's European network. The Air France era brought substantial fleet and network changes. CityJet replaced older BAe 146 aircraft with Avro RJ85 jets and later operated VLM Airlines aircraft under the CityJet brand after Air France-KLM acquired VLM. However, the company remained loss-making. Air France-KLM began reviewing a sale in the early 2010s, and CityJet, including VLM Airlines, was sold to German investor Intro Aviation in May 2014. VLM subsequently separated from CityJet ownership, although it continued certain contracted operations for a period. From 2015 onward, CityJet increasingly repositioned itself as an ACMI specialist. It acquired or integrated Blue1 and later acquired Cimber from Scandinavian Airlines, while securing long-term wet-lease arrangements with SAS and ordering Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The company also operated aircraft for Brussels Airlines, KLM Cityhopper, Aer Lingus and Lufthansa at different points. Its own scheduled network was progressively reduced, and in October 2018 CityJet ended scheduled services under its own brand. Since then, its principal role has been to supply regional aircraft and operating crews to partner airlines rather than to sell a broad CityJet-branded timetable directly to passengers. CityJet experimented with the Sukhoi Superjet 100, including services for Brussels Airlines, but withdrew the aircraft in 2019 because of operational reliability concerns and replaced them with CRJ900s. It also helped establish Air Antwerp with KLM in 2019; the carrier operated Antwerp–London City flights before ceasing operations in 2021. The COVID-19 crisis caused the cancellation or suspension of several wet-lease contracts, including arrangements with Brussels Airlines and Aer Lingus, and CityJet entered an Irish examinership process in 2020. The restructuring was completed later that year, after which the company rebuilt its wet-lease activity, particularly for SAS. CityJet expanded its regional fleet again in 2023 with Bombardier CRJ1000 aircraft, initially supporting Lufthansa operations, and resumed a Brussels Airlines wet-lease contract. In October 2023, CityJet completed a merger with Air Nostrum, creating the Strategic Alliance of Regional Airlines and leaving CityJet with a 20 percent interest in the combined entity. In 2024 it continued operating CRJ1000 aircraft for Lufthansa during the summer season. Reference material also reports a court-sanctioned restructuring transaction in 2025 under which Danish investor Lars Thuesen acquired 92 percent of the airline; CityJet and Thuesen's Jettime were intended to remain operationally independent. CityJet's workforce is concentrated in Denmark as well as Ireland, with a major base at Copenhagen Airport, additional crew in Sweden and a crew-planning centre in Luton. Its current identity is therefore best understood as a European regional aviation services provider focused on wet leasing, rather than as a conventional independent scheduled airline.

CityJet was founded in 1992 under the name Business City Direct and began commercial operations in December 1993. Its initial strategy centred on short-haul business travel from Dublin to London City Airport. In January 1994 it began operating the route under a Virgin Atlantic franchise, using the Virgin CityJet identity and Virgin's distribution channels. Brussels services followed in 1995. The airline ended the franchise in 1996 as Virgin entered European short-haul aviation through Virgin Express, and continued independently under the CityJet name. By that point it served London City, Brussels and Málaga from Dublin. The company approached insolvency in 1999. Air Foyle acquired half of CityJet in exchange for taking on its debts, while Air France purchased a further 25 percent and invested £2 million. CityJet retained some independent scheduled flying but became a principal European subcontractor for Air France. Air France acquired the remaining shares in early 2000. The arrangement allowed Air France to outsource regional operations using aircraft with fewer than 100 seats. CityJet continued to grow its role in the Air France network, operating routes from Paris to destinations including Dublin, Birmingham, Edinburgh, London City, Florence, Gothenburg and Zurich. It also maintained selected CityJet-branded services. During the mid-2000s, CityJet modernised its regional fleet. Older BAe 146 aircraft were progressively replaced by Avro RJ85s, acquired through a deal valued in the reference material at $221 million. Air France-KLM also acquired VLM Airlines in 2007 and later applied the CityJet brand to VLM's Fokker 50 fleet. Despite increased passenger volumes, CityJet suffered significant losses and declining average fares. Air France-KLM began considering a disposal of the airline in 2012 and 2013. The relationship shifted from a broad operating agreement toward codesharing, and the sale to Intro Aviation was completed in May 2014. VLM later separated from CityJet ownership. CityJet's business model changed decisively between 2015 and 2018. It acquired Blue1 from SAS, integrated the Finnish subsidiary in 2016 and ordered Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft for SAS wet-lease work. In 2017 it agreed to acquire Cimber, also from SAS, and obtained additional contracted flying. CityJet simultaneously reduced its own scheduled network, withdrew from several London City routes and announced that it intended for most of its flying to be conducted on a wet-lease basis. Other contracts included flying for KLM Cityhopper and Brussels Airlines. In August 2018 the company announced the end of all scheduled services under its own brand, effective 27 October 2018. From late 2018 CityJet operated aircraft for Aer Lingus and other partner airlines. It used Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft on certain operations, including Brussels Airlines flying, but removed the type in 2019 because of operational reliability problems. CRJ900 aircraft became more important to the business. CityJet also partnered with KLM to establish Air Antwerp, in which CityJet initially held a 75 percent interest. Air Antwerp started daily Antwerp–London City service in September 2019, transferred CityJet's stake to KLM in 2021 and stopped operations that June. The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected CityJet. Brussels Airlines cancelled a five-aircraft wet-lease arrangement in April 2020, while the Aer Lingus agreement also ended amid uncertainty. The same month, an interim examiner was appointed by the Irish High Court. CityJet completed the examinership and financial restructuring process in August 2020. It restarted SAS wet-lease flying in June 2020 and rebuilt the operation to 18 CRJ900 aircraft for SAS by 2022. The company expanded into larger regional jets in 2023, taking delivery of Bombardier CRJ1000 aircraft and using the first aircraft for Lufthansa operations. It also began a new Brussels Airlines wet-lease programme. A planned combination with Air Nostrum, initially announced in 2018 and approved by the European Union in 2019, was delayed by the pandemic and reactivated before completion in October 2023. The new Strategic Alliance of Regional Airlines entity gave CityJet a 20 percent interest. Lufthansa later wet-leased five CRJ1000s from CityJet for the 2024 summer season. Reference material describes a further ownership change in 2025, when Danish investor Lars Thuesen acquired 92 percent of CityJet through a court-sanctioned compulsory purchase associated with restructuring. CityJet and Thuesen's Jettime were intended to remain separate operators. The airline's operating footprint includes Dublin headquarters, a major Copenhagen Airport employment base, Swedish crew, a Luton crew-planning centre and maintenance facilities at Copenhagen Kastrup. Its post-2018 identity is primarily that of an aircraft, crew and operational-services supplier to European airlines.

• 2025

  Majority ownership changes during restructuring

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports Lars Thuesen's acquisition of 92 percent of CityJet through a court-sanctioned process.

• 2023

  Merger with Air Nostrum completes

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  The merger creates Strategic Alliance of Regional Airlines, in which CityJet holds a 20 percent interest.

• 2020

  Examinership restructuring is completed

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  CityJet exits Irish examinership after pandemic-related financial disruption.

• 2018

  Own-brand scheduled services end

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  CityJet completes its transition away from scheduled flying under its own brand.

• 2017

  Cimber acquisition is agreed

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  CityJet agrees to buy Cimber and extends its SAS wet-lease relationship.

• 2016

  Blue1 is integrated

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  CityJet acquires and dissolves SAS subsidiary Blue1 as part of its expansion into contracted regional flying.

• 2014

  Intro Aviation acquisition closes

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  CityJet and VLM Airlines are sold by Air France-KLM to Intro Aviation.

• 2007

  Air France-KLM acquires VLM Airlines

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  VLM later begins operating aircraft under CityJet branding.

• 2000

  Air France becomes sole owner

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  Air France completes its acquisition of CityJet.

• 1996

  Independent CityJet branding begins

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  The Virgin franchise ends and the carrier continues operating as CityJet.

• 1994

  Dublin–London City route launches

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  The airline begins its first regular route under a Virgin Atlantic franchise.

• 1993

  Commercial operations begin

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  CityJet commences airline operations in December.

• 1992

  CityJet is founded

  [1]CityJeten.wikipedia.org

  The airline is established as Business City Direct in Ireland.

European regional aviation and ACMI wet-lease specialist

• Passenger airline operations · 1993

  Scheduled regional passenger services

  CityJet historically operated its own scheduled regional network from Ireland and the United Kingdom, including services to London City, Brussels and Málaga. It later reduced and ultimately ended scheduled flying under the CityJet brand in October 2018. The company now primarily operates passenger flights on behalf of other airlines rather than marketing a broad independent timetable.

• Airline operating services

  ACMI and wet-lease services

  CityJet supplies aircraft, crews, maintenance and operational support to European airline customers. This model enables partner airlines to add regional capacity or maintain routes without directly operating the aircraft. CityJet has provided such services for carriers including Scandinavian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, KLM Cityhopper and Aer Lingus at different times.

• Regional jet operations · 2015

  Bombardier CRJ900 operations

  CRJ900 aircraft became a core part of CityJet's post-2015 wet-lease strategy, especially for Scandinavian Airlines. The type also replaced CityJet's withdrawn Sukhoi Superjet 100 fleet in Brussels Airlines operations and supported the company's recovery after the pandemic.

• Regional jet operations · 2023

  Bombardier CRJ1000 operations

  CityJet began receiving CRJ1000 aircraft in 2023. The larger regional jets were used in wet-lease flying for Lufthansa and formed part of the company's effort to provide higher-capacity regional aircraft to European airline partners.

• Associated airline venture · 2019

  Air Antwerp

  CityJet partnered with KLM to create Air Antwerp in 2019. The new airline operated daily flights between Antwerp and London City Airport. CityJet transferred its 75 percent interest to KLM in 2021, and Air Antwerp ceased operations in June of that year.

• Leinster Rugby official airline sponsorship

  Ireland

  CityJet served as the official airline of Leinster Rugby for approximately a decade, linking the airline brand with a prominent Irish sporting organisation.

  Outcome. The sponsorship ended around the COVID-19 period, when CityJet entered examinership.

  Source

• 2023

  Merger with Air NostrumM&A

  Background

  A combination first announced in 2018 had been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic after receiving European Union approval.

  Action taken

  CityJet and Air Nostrum completed their merger and created Strategic Alliance of Regional Airlines.

  Aftermath

  CityJet retained a 20 percent interest in the new entity.

  Source

• 2020

  CityJet restructures during the pandemicStrategy

  Background

  COVID-19 caused the cancellation or suspension of several wet-lease contracts and sharply reduced regional aviation demand.

  Action taken

  The company entered Irish examinership and completed a financial restructuring process in August 2020.

  Aftermath

  CityJet resumed SAS wet-lease flying in June 2020 and rebuilt its contracted operations.

  Source

• 2019

  Sukhoi Superjet 100 fleet is withdrawnGeneration change

  Background

  The aircraft type experienced insufficient operational reliability in CityJet's service.

  Action taken

  CityJet removed its Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft from service and returned them to the lessor.

  Aftermath

  CRJ900 aircraft replaced the Superjets in relevant wet-lease operations, including flying for Brussels Airlines.

  Source

• 2018

  Own-brand scheduled airline operations are discontinuedStrategy

  Background

  CityJet's business was increasingly based on providing aircraft and crews to partner airlines.

  Action taken

  The company announced the cessation of scheduled services under the CityJet brand from 27 October 2018.

  Aftermath

  CityJet became primarily an ACMI and wet-lease operator.

  Source

• 2017

  CityJet prioritises wet leasingStrategy

  Background

  The airline faced continuing pressure in its own scheduled network and saw stronger prospects in contracted regional flying.

  Action taken

  CityJet announced that it would reduce its own scheduled routes and target wet-lease operations for approximately 80 percent of its flying.

  Aftermath

  The company cancelled or reduced several London City routes and moved toward ending its own-brand scheduled services.

  Source

1. 1CityJeten.wikipedia.org
2. 2CityJet official websitecityjet.com