Citywing is celebrating a successful 2014, with a number of improvements having been made to its services across the year.
Despite the closure of Blackpool Airport in October, Citywing is delighted to have been able to offer new and extended services in 2014, and to have achieved great passenger numbers and customer feedback.
In March, Citywing introduced its new double daily direct route between the Isle of Man and Glasgow, restoring the Island’s vital link with Scotland in time for events such as the Commonwealth Games and TT2014. Given the long history of economic, social and cultural links between the Island and Scotland, the reinstatement of the route was welcome news for the Isle of Man as a centre for business and tourism. Citywing has also recently introduced a lowest fares initiative to guarantee customers the cheapest flight prices to and from Scotland, which it is hoped will boost visitor numbers to the Island.
For TT2014, Citywing offered additional services to and from Blackpool, Belfast, Glasgow, Newcastle and Gloucester, enabling a greater number of festival fans to visit the Island for the fortnight. Tickets for this year’s Festival of Motorcycling were also in high demand as almost all flights across the festival period were fully booked. Citywing’s enhanced timetable of flights for both the TT and Festival of Motorcycling in 2015 is available to book now, with tickets already selling fast.
Over the summer, Citywing continued its dedication to promoting the Island across the UK as a potential destination for tourists. As well as attending the Island’s own Southern Agricultural Show, and sponsoring the directional signage for the event, Citywing made an appearance at shows in Blackpool and Gloucester with exhibitions promoting the Isle of Man as a holiday destination. Working with Isle of Man Government and Sleepwell Hotels, the company also brought representatives from The Bay radio station, based in Lancaster, to the Island to encourage more visitors from the North West and launch a competition for listeners to win a trip to the Island.
The Citywing team has also lent a hand to several local community initiatives over the year, including participating in St Ninian’s High School’s careers day and offering placements for work experience students, hosting its popular Plane Pull on behalf of Manx Cancer Help, and an additional Plane Pull event in aid of the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group’s appeal to raise funds for a new dedicated breast care unit at Nobles Hospital.
Rounding off the year, Citywing was pleased by news that, as of May 2015, air passenger duty is to be scrapped for children under the age of 12. The announcement was made in Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne’s annual Autumn Statement to Parliament, and Citywing has already updated its website to accommodate the changes, which it hopes will encourage an increase in visitors to the Island.
Managing Director at Citywing, David Buck, said: ‘We have had a brilliant year, with growth in passenger numbers and a good deal of positive feedback from our customers. We were delighted to be able to introduce our new route between the Isle of Man and Glasgow, as well as offering extra flights during the busy TT and Festival of Motorcycling periods to help even more fans visit the Island to be a part of these exciting events.
‘While we were disappointed by the closure of Blackpool Airport in October, we are in continuing discussions with the new owners and are hopeful that we can work towards reinstating the route next spring. We have a lot to look forward to in 2015, and we hope that our customers will continue to support us and enjoy the ever-improving service that Citywing provides.’
Visit www.citywing.com for full information and to keep up to date with Citywing’s latest news.
