The collapse into liquidation of regional airline Citywing, serving the Isle of Man from five UK destinations, has thrown TT travel plans for many fans, race teams and trade visitors into chaos.
Citywing was a virtual operation, effectively a branded ticket-seller outsourcing flying activities to Czech-based Van Air Europe. These comprised regular services connecting the Island with Belfast, Blackpool, Glasgow, Gloucester and Newcastle, employing Van Air’s fleet of 19-seat Let L410 aircraft wearing Citywing liveries.
During “Storm Doris” on 23 February, a Citywing flight from the Isle of Man to Belfast turned back due to deteriorating weather conditions in Northern Ireland. It then suffered technical problems when attempting to land at Manx airport Ronaldsway in severe gale-force winds and finished up blocking the main runway for two hours. Passengers had to be evacuated by emergency services. None of them was injured.
In response to this incident, the UK Civil Aviation Authority grounded all Van Air flights in British airspace pending investigation. Citywing then struggled to charter replacement planes to cover all of its routes. Increased costs and repeated flight cancellations quickly led to the business becoming insolvent.
Refunds on a large number of pre-booked flights will depend on the outcome of liquidation proceeedings. And the Isle of Man Government is urgently seeking other airlines to replace Citywing, particularly for the crucial TT period.