The European Commission has approved the merger of two major European regional airlines, CityJet and Air Nostrum. This is the second time the merger has been approved, the first merger attempt being planned for 2018-2019 but interrupted by the COVID pandemic.
The merger was reactivated in early 2023 and airlines were asked to resubmit the necessary documentation. The request was submitted by Fortress Investment Group, a US company that owns CityJet, and Air Investment Valencia (AIV), which controls Air Nostrum.
"In January 2023, the parties re-notified the transaction as it was not completed. The Commission has now come to the conclusion that the competitive landscape and market conditions have remained broadly the same and that the transaction would not yet raise concerns regarding the competitive environment," explains the European Commission, published on March 2, 2023.
Air Nostrum is based in Valencia and operates 37 aircraft, mostly Bombardier CRJ-100s and CRJ-1000s, according to Planespotters data. Dublin-based CityJet operates 17 Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft. Most CityJet flights are operated on behalf of Scandinavian Airlines, while Air Nostrum operates as part of the Iberia franchise.