Eastern Airways

[LBAYORKIE]

Does anyone know how the Esbjerg passenger figures ars holding up (or not)?

 

[Scottie Dog]

According to their website the service started on 18th December. Hopefully the CAA will publish December figures in the near future. When they're available I'll produce a report.

 

[pug]

Does anyone know how the Esbjerg passenger figures ars holding up (or not)?

Someone elsewhere has done a load of mock bookings and the seat plans suggest around 15 seats taken on most flights. So over 50% loads which I think is ok for eastern. Perhaps companies are block booking seats and the rest are being sold to the general public?

 

[Nethercote2019]

Did the EMA to NQY service start in Feb ?

 

[CM.]

Did the EMA to NQY service start in Feb ?

First flight from Thursday 30th March.

 

[pug]

First flight from Thursday 30th March.

Esbjerg suspended until September, though judging by the loads it remains to be seen whether it will return at all, not sure if the announcement of the worlds largest wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire/lincolnshire getting the go ahead will provide any further synergies.

As for NQY, it looks like that is to be shared with EMA going forward on a HUY-EMA-NQY-EMA-HUY pattern. Perhaps 4 x weekly is a little optimistic for that particular market, but it was doing well last year at 2 x weekly.

 

[Finger66]

If they had stayed at LBA (but then would have had to pay bills) they would be making more money on SOU and NQY. But they made their choice........

 

[pug]

If they had stayed at LBA (but then would have had to pay bills) they would be making more money on SOU and NQY. But they made their choice........

My understanding is Leeds didn’t want them there and increased charges accordingly.

Not sure what their revenue is on the HUY routes, ABZ has always been strong, but they are fairly unpredictable and I think are purely run as something to do for the owner. It’s miles apart from the award winning airline of years gone by.

 

[Finger66]

@pug not saying you are wrong about LBA not wanting them as such but there is more to it than that and is certainly not for me to say as I was asked to keep the actual reason confidential. However I know the reason has been posted by someone somewhere on the LBA forum in the last few months, just can’t remember who, where, when etc. I know T3 won’t be returning to LBA, just merely pointing out that they, like a lot of airlines, are missing out on huge potential by not serving LBA. That said with their new found unreliability and chopping/changing of schedules they would never build up to being as you say “the award winning airline of years gone by”

 

[pug]

@pug not saying you are wrong about LBA not wanting them as such but there is more to it than that and is certainly not for me to say as I was asked to keep the actual reason confidential. However I know the reason has been posted by someone somewhere on the LBA forum in the last few months, just can’t remember who, where, when etc. I know T3 won’t be returning to LBA, just merely pointing out that they, like a lot of airlines, are missing out on huge potential by not serving LBA. That said with their new found unreliability and chopping/changing of schedules they would never build up to being as you say “the award winning airline of years gone by”

I assume you’re referring to LBA impounding an Eastern aircraft for non payment of fees? It all ties in together, and is part of the same problem. Don’t think LBA are all that bothered about small capacity aircraft and I don’t think Eastern are therefore all that bothered about serving LBA.

They could be a pretty useful airline if they went back to their core, but like I say it’s just been run as something to do (and probably a way to offset the costs of his toy box) so it’s not really a competitor in any sense.

The Humber region business leaders support it, they’re all probably mates anyway, and I think EBJ and NQY are good choices of routes from Humberside. Do wonder how well NQY will do with an added stop on the route though.

 

[A400]

Do wonder how well NQY will do with an added stop on the route though.

Personally I’m not to sure but I would have thought it would have been better direct. It doesn’t give the impression the routes performing well if they stopping at another airport. And presumably it’s still on the J41.

Hopefully it will continue to have good loads regardless

 

[Seasider]

If they are having to split load a J41, then it's time to pack in.

 

[pug]

If they are having to split load a J41, then it's time to pack in.

Did well last year at 2 x weekly, so wonder whether splitting loads is an operational issue..

 

[CM.]

Esbjerg suspended until September,

Now cut fully according to SeanM on Twitter.

 

[Finger66]

Another half hearted attempt at something over and done with. Will they ever learn to run an airline properly again I wonder?

 

[dmrodgers]

Flights on Eastern to Newquay via EMA still bookable this morning on their website.

 

[pug]

Now cut fully according to SeanM on Twitter.

Not really surprising, good choice of route in theory as I know they collaborated with local industry on it. Clearly in practice the flexibility offered by KLM meant that it probably wasn’t viable to fly 3 x weekly on a turboprop and wouldn’t have generated enough traffic to offer a reasonable number of rotations. We know that a fairly large percentage of passengers using KLM connect onwards to Denmark and Scandinavia but best to leave it to KLM in my view as it provides the critical mass necessary to sustain the service whilst also providing the link to their global network.

The airport really should be playing to its strengths in terms of passenger flights and going after the leisure market for which there is latent demand, and not an airline that wants to fly a route between the hours of 9 and 5 Monday to Friday because it’s suits them from a staffing perspective.

 

[Silvercity]

Didnt SAS operate this route at one time ?

 

[Finger66]

Don't know whether SK did but think an airline called Cimber Air may have done

 

[CM.]

Didnt SAS operate this route at one time ?

No they only flew to CPH

Cimber Air use to do HUY-ESJ in the mid-late 80s.

The airport really should be playing to its strengths in terms of passenger flights and going after the leisure market for which there is latent demand, and not an airline that wants to fly a route between the hours of 9 and 5 Monday to Friday because it’s suits them from a staffing perspective.

I agree with that.