DALLAS – Today in Aviation, Isle of Man-based EuroManx (3W) ceased operations in 2008.
In a statement, the airline’s owners said, “Over the last six months, a number of factors, including rising fuel prices and reduced passenger numbers, have proved to be insurmountable obstacles to the airline being able to continue to operate.”
A New National Airline
Following the absorption of the Isle of Man’s “national” airline, Manx Airlines, into British Airways (BA) in 2002, those on the island thought it would be an excellent time to launch a new carrier to meet the needs of residents. Allan Keen, who ran air ambulance/air taxi operator Woodgate Aviation, decided to establish 3W.
3W started life with a 19-seat Beech 1900D (PH-RAR) flying between the Isle of Man (IOM), Glasgow (GLA) and Edinburgh (EDI) on August 19, 2002.
The larger ATR-42 was added to the fleet in November 2003. The airline also operated two Avro RJ70s, two Dornier 328s and a Dash 8-Q200.
New Owners
In September 2004, the airline was taken over by a UK-based aviation consortium headed by Corporate Jet Services.
The new owners quickly set about expanding 3W and purchasing their own aircraft. In May 2005, 3W opened a new hub at Galway (GWY) and announced new routes to Paris (CDG), Milan (MXP), London City (LCY), and Malaga.
However, the launch of competitor Manx2 in 2006, expansion on the island by Flybe (BE) and rising fuel prices hit the airline hard. It began to cut aircraft and routes, leaving the carrier with just a pair of Dash 8-300s flying to Belfast City, Liverpool, London City and Manchester from IOM.
Featured image: EuroManx De Havilland Canada DHC-8-311Q (OE-HBC) at Manchester. Photo: Paul Spijkers (GFDL or GFDL), via Wikimedia Commons.
