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A client told me about an AstraZeneca sponsored BA flight from Cambridge to Gothenburg, and I can see that HfP actually announced the launch back in 2015 https://www.headforpoints.com/2015/02/18/british-airways-launches-flights-out-of-cambridge-airport/
The flight still appears to be running, as you can find it on plane tracking sites, but I can’t find a way to book this either on the BA site or on skyscanner. Neither will even accept CBG as a valid airport code.
Is this a bookable flight for members of the public? Either with cash or avios?
No – it runs as a closed shuttle for glaxosmithkline IIRC. I think because Cambridge didn’t upgrade something to do with security to allow the public to continue to travel on it
I used it multiple times when it was open to the paying public. I only live on the other side of the common to the airport so used to cycle over (saying hello to the cows on the way) and lock my bike up at the terminal! Not my normal start to a business trip. It also meant from wheels down to walking in my front door was about 10 mins.
Is this the one that also serves (or served) MAN? I saw it boarding a few years ago, it did stir the latent AV geek in me, just a bit!
Ah that’s a pity, was looking for something a bit more fun than Ryanair from Stansted to Gothenburg!
Thanks all for the comments
I also cycled to the airport when I last used it, which had about 5 people on board. The pilots used to leave the door to the cockpit open. It was certainly fantastic for me at the time living in Cambridge and working for a company based in Gothenburg that *wasn’t* AstraZeneca. Someone on the flight asked me which part of AZ I worked for – the prices and weird route meant there were always very, very few members of the public on it.
Aparently the security at Cambridge used to drive up from Stansted Airport for the flight arrivals. I heard that one time they were delayed and everyone was stuck in the airport until they arrived.
Certainly a weird flight and I’m very glad to have had a chance to use it without applying for a job at AZ.
Is this the one that also serves (or served) MAN? I saw it boarding a few years ago, it did stir the latent AV geek in me, just a bit!
I think it still does, operating via Cambridge !
It’s Astra Zenica AFAIK who, last time I read, guarantee to buy a certain number of seats on each flight. Not sure if it’s switched to a charter but I know you can’t buy tickets as the public
Is this the one that also serves (or served) MAN? I saw it boarding a few years ago, it did stir the latent AV geek in me, just a bit!
I think it still does, operating via Cambridge !
I don’t think it does, they’re usually two separate aircraft and the Manchester flight goes to Billund, then continues to Gothenburg under a new flight number SUN-AIR planes aren’t that heavily utilised so they are don’t need to jump around too much.
You can sometimes book the Manchester – Billund flights on Avios quite cheaply, cash is £300+
I think it was one of those little Dornier jets that I saw, with the BA logo. I was sitting on an easyJet plane at the next gate at the time which was slightly less glamorous 😂
It was operated by sun-air which was a BA franchise but not owned by BA
I even checked the sun air website and Google flights and nothing on sale to the public
Maybe too many spies from AZs competitors hoping to hear some juicy gossip werw buying the public seats and so they ended public sale !
It was operated by sun-air which was a BA franchise but not owned by BA
I even checked the sun air website and Google flights and nothing on sale to the public
Maybe too many spies from AZs competitors hoping to hear some juicy gossip werw buying the public seats and so they ended public sale !
I know someone at AZ, and apparently it’s usually quite busy with senior / specialist staff, sub contractors and uni people. More to do with collaboration I think
The airport will also close at some point in the next few years as Marshall’s obviously figured out just how much valuable land they were sitting on.
I remember the Amsterdam flights that were amazingly convenient. Park 50 feet from security and in departures in a minute. Waiting for a flight once, I ordered pizza and waved at the delivery driver when he arrived.
BA8234 from Cambridge was the next baggage carousel to the LHR flight tonight in GOT.
Not on sale to public and no longer operates to MAN.
Sun Air still appears as a contracting airline on the entrance banner for Escape Lounge MAN T3.
It’s been a while since I have spotted the aircraft
Indeed, It stopped serving MAN around October if I recall. I know 🙂
The airport will also close at some point in the next few years as Marshall’s obviously figured out just how much valuable land they were sitting on.
I remember the Amsterdam flights that were amazingly convenient. Park 50 feet from security and in departures in a minute. Waiting for a flight once, I ordered pizza and waved at the delivery driver when he arrived.
Too bad there are no longer commercial flights — Amsterdam would be great! Cycling to the airport would be far superior to going to other airports. However, in light of the other options within a reasonable drive / train, it is quite understandable why commercial flights are not viable.
As my office looks over the flight path, I often see (and hear) the SunAir aircraft taking off for GOT or MAN; sometimes they are in BA livery, other times all white. Other than the odd West Atlantic 737, the SunAir Dornier is the loudest aircraft flying from CBG. The C130s are however the most impressive.
A shame indeed. I’ve done the Cambridge-Amsterdam route back when it was a thing. I remember ordering pizza once because the flight was delayed. When it arrived I waved from the departure lounge to the delivery guy wandering around checkin and walked back through security to get it.
But it’s never coming back as Marshall has said they will close the airport so it will just become another sea of 2-3 story Cambridge housing, which to be fair the city desperately needs.
The Government announced an Oxford-Cambridge silicon valley plan this week, is there a preferred airport in this plan?
The Emirates press release when they announced flights from Stansted specifically called out the “Stansted Cambridge corridor” as part of the decision, so that’s certainly that end of the arc covered.
While it was nice to cycle to Cambridge Airport, Stansted is 30-ish minutes away by train, so not much more of an imposition. Especially when Cross Country are finally reinstating their missing trains from May to once again create a 2 train per hour service (apart from peak times, annoyingly).
The Government announced an Oxford-Cambridge silicon valley plan this week, is there a preferred airport in this plan?
‘The corridor connecting Cambridge, Milton Keynes and Oxford could be the UK’s Silicon Valley – a world-renowned centre for science, technology and innovation….’ National Infrastructure Commission, 2017
Thought i’d heard that before 😉
With Milton Keynes at the mid point of that corridor, you have Luton 30 mins south and BHX 30 mins north – then the well served London-Oxford airport at the West end.
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