Industry | Travel |
---|---|
Founded | 11 May 2006 |
Defunct | 31 December 2012 |
Successor | Citywing |
Headquarters | , Isle of Man |
Key people | Noel Hayes (Chairman) David Buck (MD) [1] |
Manx2 was a virtual commuter airline with its head office in Hangar 9, Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla, Malew, Isle of Man. [2] It sold flights and services from several airports in the UK with bases in Belfast City, Blackpool, Cardiff and Isle of Man. [3] The flights were operated for Manx2 by a number of airlines, including Van Air Europe, FLM Aviation and Links Air. [4] In December 2012 the assets of Manx2 were sold to Citywing and Manx2's last flight took place on 31 December 2012. [5]
Manx2 was launched on 11 May 2006, with services starting on 15 July. Its chairman was Noel Hayes. [3] Manx2 was founded by the team who set up the Blue Islands airline, which serves the Channel Islands.
On 11 July 2006, Manx2 took delivery of its first chartered aircraft, a Let L-410 Turbolet painted in the new corporate colours of Manx2. [6] The aircraft was initially operated by 'BASe Air Kft' (Budapest Air Services) under the call sign 'Base' and the flight code 'BPS'. The first three routes to be announced by Manx2 were from the Isle of Man to Belfast International and Blackpool on 15 July, followed by Leeds Bradford on 12 August 2006.
Manx2 introduced the BAe Jetstream 31 into its fleet in September 2006 with the aircraft being operated by Jetstream Executive Travel. Initially only one Jetstream 31 was added to the fleet to operate the Isle of Man to Leeds Bradford service.
Manx2 added a Fairchild Metroliner from Flightline BCN to its fleet for a period and extended its route network to include Belfast City. Routes to Belfast City and Blackpool were flown by two 19-seat [7] turboprop Let L-410 aircraft from European operator VanAir Europe. [8]
On 3 September 2007, Manx2 launched a new service connecting Manx2's base on the Isle of Man with Gloucestershire Airport, located at Staverton between Gloucester and Cheltenham, within an hour of major cities such as Birmingham and Bristol. This route sought to compete with Flybe's service to Birmingham. The route also had a seasonal extension to Jersey on Saturdays.
In 2008, Manx 2 added two Dornier 228 aircraft to its fleet and carried 100,000 passengers that year. A third Do 228 was added in 2009. In 2009, Manx2 announced it had carried its 250,000th passenger. It also announced an increased frequency of five flights daily on its main route from Blackpool and additional flights to Belfast City.
The flagship route to Blackpool was subsequently increased to ten flights per day after the company launched 15 days free parking for its customers at Blackpool airport, [9] while the Belfast City flights surpassed the former Island flag carrier's numbers. [10] A new base was established at Belfast City with additional frequency to the Isle of Man and Cork. The Leeds Bradford route also operated daily. [11] The Gloucestershire route operated every weekday morning [11] [12] In August 2009 a new route was started [13] to Newcastle upon Tyne, and in May 2010 the company [14] tendered for a seven-month Public Service Obligation contract to operate the Cardiff–Isle of Anglesey route for the Welsh Assembly Government. This contract was subsequently extended for a further four years. [15]
Shortly thereafter Manx2 launched a service from Galway to Belfast and the Isle of Man, and in September 2010 a twice daily service between Belfast and Cork was launched. This service ceased in March 2011 following an accident. [16] and Manx2 ceased its leasing arrangement with Flightline BCN. [17] Manx2 subsequently exited the domestic Irish market, cancelling its seasonal Belfast – Galway service.
Services between Belfast City and Isle of Man were increased, [18] and through Services to Gloucester (Staverton) from Belfast City were launched. [19] The company also operated seasonal services between Isle of Man and Anglesey (Valley) Airport. [20] A service to London Oxford airport was announced, and services began seven days a week starting May 2012 and this service continued through to January 2013.
On 22 November 2012, Manx2.com announced a buy-out of its business by Citywing Aviation Services Ltd, a new company formed by a management buyout team. [21] Manx2's last flight took place on 31 December 2012. [22] From 1 January 2013, all flights were transferred to Citywing. [23]
The Manx2 business was often referred to as a virtual airline. Manx2 did not own any aircraft directly but by virtue of its branding and advertising, sold tickets on flights operated on its behalf by other airlines, with some painted in the Manx2.com livery.
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated in County Down, it is adjacent to the Belfast Harbour and is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Spirit AeroSystems aircraft manufacturing facility. The airport began commercial operations in 1983, and was known as "Belfast City Airport" until it was renamed in 2006 in memory of George Best, the professional footballer from Belfast. The airport has a CAA public use aerodrome licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
Eastern Airways, legally incorporated as Air Kilroe Limited, is a British regional airline headquartered at Humberside Airport near the village of Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. The airline operates domestic, international and private charter flights and around 800,000 passengers fly with the airline per year.
Blackpool Airport is an airport on the Fylde coast of Lancashire, England, in the Borough of Fylde, just outside the Borough of Blackpool. It was formerly known as Squires Gate Airport and Blackpool International Airport.
Gloucestershire Airport, formerly Staverton Airport, is a small airport at Churchdown, England. It lies 3.5 nautical miles west of Cheltenham, near the city of Gloucester and close to the M5 motorway. Its operator claims it to be Gloucestershire's largest general aviation airfield, and it is regularly used for private charter flights to destinations such as Jersey and Guernsey.
Isle of Man Airport is the main civilian airport on the Isle of Man. It is located in the south of the island at Ronaldsway near Castletown, 6 nautical miles southwest of Douglas, the island's capital. Along with the Isle of Man Sea Terminal, it is one of the two main gateways to the island. The airport has scheduled services to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
EuroManx was a Manx airline based at Ronaldsway Airport, which operated scheduled domestic passenger services as well as business charters. On 9 May 2008 the airline announced that it was ceasing all operations, citing rising fuel prices and reduced passenger numbers as the reasons.
British NorthWest Airlines was an airline based at Blackpool International Airport.
Railway Air Services (RAS) was a British airline formed in March 1934 by the Big Four railway companies and Imperial Airways. The airline was a domestic airline operating routes within the United Kingdom linking up with Imperial's services.
Manx Airlines was an English-owned, Isle of Man-based airline that existed between 1982 and 2002. Its head office was located on the grounds of Ronaldsway Airport in Ballasalla, Malew. An airline of the same name existed between 1947 and 1958.
Hall Caine Airport, also referred to as Close Lake Airfield, was an airfield on the Isle of Man located near the town of Ramsey. It was named after the author Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE by his sons Gordon Hall Caine and Derwent Hall Caine, who initiated the project, and was the first airport in the British Isles to be named after a person.
Cambrian Airways was an airline based in the United Kingdom which ran operations from Cardiff Airport and Liverpool John Lennon Airport between 1935 and 1974. It was incorporated into British Airways when BOAC, BEA, Cambrian and Northeast merged on 1 April 1974.
Isle of Man Air Services Ltd (IoMAS) was a small airline, based at Ronaldsway Airport Isle of Man, which operated scheduled flights to the English and Scottish mainland between formation in September 1937 and nationalisation in January 1947.
Aer Lingus Regional is an Aer Lingus brand which is used for commuter and regional flights. Aer Lingus Regional scheduled passenger services operate primarily from Ireland to the United Kingdom, France, and the Channel Islands, along with services from Belfast, Northern Ireland to the places mentioned. Services were operated by Aer Arann and then its successor Stobart Air until the latter's closure in June 2021. The contract for the franchise was then awarded to Emerald Airlines and services resumed on February 26, 2022.
The British Aerospace Jetstream is a small twin turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage, developed as the Jetstream 31 from the earlier Handley Page Jetstream. A larger version of the Jetstream was also manufactured, the British Aerospace Jetstream 41.
Stobart Air was an Irish regional airline based in Dublin, originating in 1970 and closing in 2021. It operated scheduled services under the brands Aer Lingus Regional, BA CityFlyer and KLM Cityhopper on behalf of their respective owners. Stobart Air had operating bases in Cork, Dublin and Belfast for Aer Lingus Regional.
Manx2 Flight 7100 was a scheduled commercial flight from Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Cork, Republic of Ireland. On 10 February 2011, the Fairchild Metro III aircraft flying the route with ten passengers and two crew on board crashed on its third attempt to land at Cork Airport in foggy conditions. Six people, including both pilots, died. Six passengers survived but were injured, four of them seriously.
VAN AIR Europe, a.s. is a Czech passenger and cargo charter airline headquartered in Brno and based at Brno–Tuřany Airport.
Citywing was an Isle of Man-based company that sold seats on scheduled air flights operated under charter. Flights linked several airports in the British Isles, with the company having a base at Isle of Man Airport. Its head office was in Hangar 9 at Isle of Man Airport in Ballasalla.
Links Air was a British airline selling and operating scheduled regional flights as well as charter services. It formerly operated scheduled flights out of Doncaster Sheffield Airport and public service obligation flights in Wales from Cardiff to Anglesey on behalf of the Welsh Government.