BA Cityflyer to launch Belfast City

[southflyer]

Would have expected ASL to be on the case, already being established in Ireland with a fleet of ATRs, albeit mainly freighters.

[Allen McL]

Emerald were due to take the franchise from 2023, but I have a feeling the stobart collapse will bring the start date forward, possibly a winter 2021 start, like EKAlly said, probably with some of the ex Stobart fleet

Anyone able to tell me where Emerald have come from ? From all I've read across various forms and chat rooms, they look to be a non existent 'paper' airline put together for the express purpose of replacing Stobart on the Aer Lingus Regional Contract. Has this all, (Stobart demise included) just been manufactured by means of "creative accountancy" to get rid of a bona fide operation for whatever reason(s) ?

Did the Regional contract ever get put through a tendering process ? Is that not still a requirement of EU membership ?

Emerald were founded in May 2020, so they haven't just sprang from the ashes of Stobart

Indeed but even then a non existent airline with no track record were heavily quoted as being the preferred bidder for the Aer Lingus contract, so my question is more about how it was engineered in their favour ? Did they just do a really great sales pitch ?

[GKirk]

CityJet CRJ-900s could be a good fit

[Saabdriver]

The operating economics of CRJ900s on very short sectors such as BHD-UK would be absolutely awful. The low hour:cycle ratio carries a very heavy penalty on the frequency and cost of engine overhauls.