Eastern Airways

[Nuffsaid]

This is great news, especially with the AF codeshare.

 

[MrFenner]

Just as a side note, the AF codeshare won't be worth a lot at ORY - AF alone currently serve just 14 routes at ORY (versus countless numbers of routes from CDG)

Nonetheless it's very good to see Paris back on the CWL boards!

 

[Jerry]

Just as a side note, the AF codeshare won't be worth a lot at ORY - AF alone currently serve just 14 routes at ORY (versus countless numbers of routes from CDG)

Nonetheless it's very good to see Paris back on the CWL boards!

I think the codeshare is worth more for point to point on Paris too Cardiff to help promote inbound tourism. I think what interesting is that on the airports social media they seem to be promoting it as an Air France route operated by Eastern rather than a codeshare on an Eastern route.

 

[MrFenner]

I think the codeshare is worth more for point to point on Paris too Cardiff to help promote inbound tourism. I think what interesting is that on the airports social media they seem to be promoting it as an Air France route operated by Eastern rather than a codeshare on an Eastern route.

Yes, that has been noticed too - and really shouldn't be how they market it because should it all go sour and the route end, encounter delays and/or cancellations, it's T3 that are the ones who have to deal with the fallout and in-turn it makes AF look bad...

Even their new Aviation Development Manager quoting "It’s fantastic to welcome back another flag carrier to Cardiff Airport" - not sure when T3 became a flag carrier, but there you go.



Let's hope it works anyway!

As a side note, and due to the fact it is to be operated by an ATR, the block time is 1h45m!

 

[Jerry]

Yes, that has been noticed too - and really shouldn't be how they market it because should it all go sour and the route end, encounter delays and/or cancellations, it's T3 that are the ones who have to deal with the fallout and in-turn it makes AF look bad...

Even their new Aviation Development Manager quoting "It’s fantastic to welcome back another flag carrier to Cardiff Airport" - not sure when T3 became a flag carrier, but there you go.



Let's hope it works anyway! Notably the flight times from CWL are half decent too.

This is a reply on social media from the airport
"The Air France brand will be at Cardiff, albeit just not on the side of the aircraft for now."

Looking at the airports point of view they obviously want too promote the Air France side of the route possibly in the hope that Air France may take the route over in the future and pr wise Air France is bigger brand and probably more pr friendly than Eastern Airways who are known for high prices, it probably also fits into the Wales in France year that the FM launched last week.

This is the tweet the airport has just published

https://twitter.com/x/status/1638934401534001152

 

[Chris Gronow]

Good news! Wonder how long it will take them to add it to the destination list on the airport website.

 

[YorkshireLad]

Potential pax figures
Month Capacity 70% load (approx 50 pax/flight)
April 1,440 1,008
May 4,464 3,125
June 4,320 3,024
July 4,464 3,125
August 4,464 3,125
September 4,320 3,024
October 4,464 3,125

Edit: The posting format doesn't seem to display the post as I made it so for clarification it is capacity, then 70% load pax

 

[Kevin Farnell]

Excellent news for Cardiff.

Potential pax figures
Month Capacity 70% load (approx 50 pax/flight)
April 1,440 1,008
May 4,464 3,125
June 4,320 3,024
July 4,464 3,125
August 4,464 3,125
September 4,320 3,024
October 4,464 3,125

Edit: The posting format doesn't seem to display the post as I made it so for clarification it is capacity, then 70% load pax

Have you tried using the 'Insert Table' feature?

 

[YorkshireLad]

Month	Capacity	70% load (approx 50 pax/flight)
April	1,440	1,008
May	4,464	3,125
June	4,320	3,024
July	4,464	3,125
August	4,464	3,125
September	4,320	3,024
October	4,464	3,125

Thanks Kevin

 

[Barry Man]

Apparently this is going to be a W pattern EMA-ORY-SOU-ORY-CWL-ORY-EMA if this is so, can see problems as some else has pointed out

 

[Jerry]

It definitely isn't a tech friendly schedule!

 

[Tinkerman]

It’s not a tech, or any other weather related delay etc friendly schedule - I can see crewing being a challenge with this. CWL may be on the raw end of any delays unfortunately looking at the schedule.

I’ve been having a read throughout various LinkedIn pages, and it does actually appear as though it’s a partnership/franchise arrangement with Air France (At first I thought someone was being quite clever/fabricating with the marketing).

 

[Jerry]

There's 6 sectors so i can't see one crew doing that. I wonder if that the aircraft actually overnights at EMA and the crew will be Southampton based?

WalesOnline now has done an article about the new flights too Paris.

New flights launched from Cardiff to Paris

The new route to Paris-Orly will launch in April

www.walesonline.co.uk

 

[Brum X]

Good news for CWL ;-)

 

[Coathanger16]

There's 6 sectors so i can't see one crew doing that.

From the flight/turn times I've seen, yes it would be too much for one crew to do. The more sectors a crew does, the lower the duty limit is - i.e. you can work longer when doing 2 sectors than when doing 4.

It’s not a tech, or any other weather related delay etc friendly schedule

It's no different than what many airlines do in terms of number of sectors flown. Ryanair routinely have their aircraft fly 6 sectors per day, and many of BA's destinations from LHR are short enough that the aircraft can fly 6 sectors per day.

The only difference with Eastern is that the aircraft doesn't return to base multiple times per day.

As I highlighted above, the crew won't be able to do all 6 sectors, so will either involve some positioning (which still counts towards duty hours) or some night stops for the crew.

 

[MrFenner]

NEW ROUTE Eastern Airways - Paris Orly to Cardiff.
Flights start 21 April 2023
T3 246 ORY 1335-1420 CWL (Mon-Fri & Sun)
T3 246 ORY 1350-1430 CWL (Sat)
T3 247 CWL 1505-1750 ORY (Mon-Fri & Sun)
T3 247 CWL 1520-1805 ORY (Sat)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1638901753184763905

The tickets will go onsale on Air France's website on the 4th April, already onsale on Easterns website.

Has anyone seen any advertising for this route as yet, or do we reckon it’ll be pushed more once flights are on the AF website?

With BRS having up to 5/6 Paris flight a day, this route needs to try pull back the evident leakage from south Wales which, with the right advertising, can easily do.

 

[Jerry]

Has anyone seen any advertising for this route as yet, or do we reckon it’ll be pushed more once flights are on the AF website?

Only when it first went onsale. I'd expect that as it goes onsale with Air France tomorrow then it would be promoted again especially as the airport seems to want to emphasise the Air France part.

 

[Jerry]

I'd expect that as it goes onsale with Air France tomorrow

I've been looking at Air France's website and site's like Skyscanner and Google flights and can't find any flights onsale for the Paris route via Air France. It doesn't look there is a codeshare on the flight.

 

[Nigel B]

UK regional carrier Eastern Airways has announced a new cooperation with Air France and the launch of three new Paris services to commence in April 2023. Daily flights from East Midlands and Southampton to Paris Orly will launch on April 14, with a Cardiff-Paris Orly service starting on April 21. “These first three new UK-France services from East-Midlands, Southampton and Cardiff will initiate the new Eastern Airways and Air France cooperation, developing into a codeshare partnership in the course of this year,” says Roger Hage, commercial director of Eastern Airways.

From Routes online.

 

[Jerry]

UK regional carrier Eastern Airways has announced a new cooperation with Air France and the launch of three new Paris services to commence in April 2023. Daily flights from East Midlands and Southampton to Paris Orly will launch on April 14, with a Cardiff-Paris Orly service starting on April 21. “These first three new UK-France services from East-Midlands, Southampton and Cardiff will initiate the new Eastern Airways and Air France cooperation, developing into a codeshare partnership in the course of this year,” says Roger Hage, commercial director of Eastern Airways.

From Routes online.

And according to the airport this was supposed too start on the 4th April.