CityJet (WX, Dublin International) will retire its thirteen remaining ARJ-85s by 2019, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Patrick Byrne has revealed.
In an interview with CAPA, Byrne said the Irish regional specialist plans to retire three of the type by year-end followed by three more in 2018 with the remainder to go by either 2019 or 2020, but "probably 2019".
The exact schedule of fleet replacement depends on the certification of the SSJ 100/95 for London City steep approach operations, he said, adding that the process is due to start in 2018 with modified aircraft to be made available to CityJet in 2019.
According to the ch-aviation capacity module, London City-Dublin International is CityJet's only own service from London City, flown 43x weekly. On top of that, the carrier also operates out of the airport on behalf of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to Amsterdam Schiphol. CityJet also plans to relaunch seasonal summer routes from London City to Avignon Caumont, Toulon and Florence Peretola, Byrne confirmed.
Byrne also said that CityJet is in talks with Air France regarding the extension of the wet-leasing contract covering seven routes out of Paris CDG. The current agreement expires in March 2018. The Irish carrier currently wet-leases five ARJ-85s to Air France and operates from the main French gateway to Biarritz, Clermont-Ferrand, Dublin International, Frankfurt International, Nuremberg, Stuttgart Manfred Rommel and Turin Caselle.
