Eastern Airways

[Aviador]

Eastern have today announced a link to Oslo from LBA via ABZ. This involves an aircraft change, so is nothing to get excited about. Passengers switch from a J41 to a S2000 at ABZ.

Eastern's marketing is a bit naughty - they claim this is the first ever link to Oslo from LBA. Not so. Brown Air (predecessor to Capital Airlines) operated a direct service to Oslo in the 1980's using their Gulfstream 1 turbo prop, and before that using a Cessna. The route stopped however before Capital turned into LBA's main operator.

Funnily, the Eastern timetable shows that the route is via Southampton!! That might put a few folk off booking.

 

[Aviador]

Doesn't it take about 4 hours to get there as well? Not my cup of tea!

 

[Bigman]

Ah yes, but at least they are advertising it. More people will now know that you can go to Oslo with Eastern rather than BMI.

 

[Aviador]

This is true especially with what we've been used to over the previous years! It's all behind us now.

 

[Aviador]

Afternoon Leeds/Southampton flight launched

Wherever the destination, save money by comparing flights for the best deals around and find cheap flights online.
Eastern Airways is introducing a mid-afternoon year-round flight from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Southampton, offering greater flexibility for business travellers returning from Yorkshire.

The independent UK regional airline will start the 14.20 Leeds Bradford departures from 16th February 2009, arriving in Southampton at 15:30.

The new weekday timing will be offered along with existing 06:50 and 17:40 weekday departures to Southampton from Leeds Bradford and replaces the current 10:15 service.

Also, the 70 minute flights to Leeds Bradford take off from Southampton at 08:35, 16:00 and 19:15.

High frequency services between Southampton and Leeds Bradford have been provided by Eastern Airways since 2003 with three daily flights in each direction on weekdays.

Chris Holliday, Eastern Airways’ chief operating officer, said: "Adjusting the timing gives our passengers greater flexibility in the afternoon.

"Customer feedback is very important to us and as a result we are making this adjustment to our schedules to meet the needs of our business travellers."

Passengers can check-in just 30 minutes before the departure time and fast track security channels are provided for all Eastern Airways customers in security search at both Southampton and Leeds Bradford airports.

Eastern Airways also flies to major UK cities, including Newcastle and Aberdeen from Southampton and to Aberdeen from Leeds Bradford.

Friendly cabin crew provide a fully inclusive onboard service and passengers are not charged for hold baggage or choice of seat.

Source

 

[Aviador]

I heard today that Eastern Airways is looking at cost savings which could effect LBA. As things stand it looks like LBA could loose it's Eastern Airways base. I'm told this doesn't necessarily have to effect the number of flights. It is possible that the LBA routes will be operated by aircraft from it's other bases such as Aberdeen. Apparently nothing is finalised just yet. I hope Eastern have a change of mind after the bmi decision to quit Heathrow. I'm sure London City would work now even along side a London Gatwick route should Flybe step in.

 

[White Heather]

What I would like to know is why, despite the obvious potential at LBA, and the huge catchment area it serves, do so many airlines pull their LBA bases in favour of others. In the case of Eastern, I think our weakness is that we are central in the UK - half way between ABZ and SOU, and in some ways it is possibly just as easy to operate ABZ - LBA -SOU and the reverse using aircraft based at either end, rather than two aircraft here heading in opposite directions every morning. The problem though is that there is no early departure then from LBA to either ABZ or SOU and when we are having our foggy days, we not only lose the inbound flight but the outbound is cancelled too.

Overall, this would be another big blow unless it was offset by Eastern replacing the J41's with S2000 aircraft.

 

[Aviador]

Eastern Airways launches new Yorkshire link

Eastern Airways has established a Southampton service, offering an alternative link to south-west London and Surrey for Yorkshire business travellers.

The Humberside based UK regional airline provides three flights each weekday from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Southampton. With a rail station next to Southampton Airport, passengers are a short journey from the M3 corridor, including Basingstoke, Farnborough, Woking and south-west London.

Eastern Airways has provided a reliable service between Yorkshire and the south coast of England for nearly six years to meet the needs of the business community.

Flights depart Leeds Bradford at 06:50, 14:20 and 17:40, arriving in Southampton at 08:00, 15:30 and 18:50. Return flights depart from Southampton at 08:35, 16:00 and 19:15, landing at Leeds Bradford at 09:45, 17:10 and 20:25.

Chris Holliday, Eastern Airways' chief operating officer, said: "Our Southampton service does provide regular Heathrow-bound air travellers with an alternative way of travelling to the south-west of London and the M3 corridor.

"Southampton Airport's rail station provides a quick direct link to major business centres along the M3 corridor.

"Our air services offer Yorkshire travellers a day return option, including those heading for south west London."

Earlier this month Eastern Airways introduced a mid-afternoon 14.20 departure to Southampton from Leeds Bradford and also started a daily weekday connection service to Oslo via Aberdeen from the Yorkshire airport.

Fast check-in times are offered by the airline and fast track security channels enable its customers to beat potential queues in the security search areas.

A fully inclusive onboard service is provided by Leeds based cabin crew and passengers are not charged for hold baggage or choice of seat.

Source

 

[Aviador]

It's great that Eastern Airways are pushing the Southampton route but I hope this isn't going to be the so-called replacement for our London service.

 

[Aviador]

I heard today that Eastern Airways is looking at cost savings which could effect LBA. As things stand it looks like LBA could loose it's Eastern Airways base. I'm told this doesn't necessarily have to effect the number of flights. It is possible that the LBA routes will be operated by aircraft from it's other bases such as Aberdeen. Apparently nothing is finalised just yet. I hope Eastern have a change of mind after the bmi decision to quit Heathrow. I'm sure London City would work now even along side a London Gatwick route should Flybe step in.

Eastern Airways to close it's base
More on this....

Informed today that this is definitely going ahead and the LBA base is to close this winter. A number of people have been informed that their jobs are at risk. I'm not sure yet if the routes will be dropped completely by Eastern Airways. They may just operate them with aircraft from other bases as I originally suggested.

 

[Aviador]

Rumour on 'another forum' that LBA-SOU is being moved to MME

It's not a rumour it's true! Hopefully via LBA if we're lucky.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

The bad news is that Eastern Airways are closing there LBA base. So yes we are losing the based aircarft which has been mentioned to be moving upto Teeside.

The good news to report is that the airlines 2 daily business service to Southampton will be retained. But will now operate as follows. Teeside-Leeds-Southampton-Leeds-Teeside

The airlines Aberdeen route will also continue to operated direct with the scotish based aircaft

Hope that helps.

 

[rmac]

This seems a sensible move by Eastern and will no doubt bolter their MME operation. There is no competition for their type of service and maybe further routes will be considered. As for LBA this is the right move for a future Flybe base. If they start an early morning SOU service I could see Eastern dropping the Leeds part of the journey. However the LBA sector for Eastern might make the MME LBA SOU route viable, but if no LBA stop then the whole route might be axed leaving MME with no SOU.

 

[WYIA]

Frankly i dont know why they dont just chop the route completely, its abit pants. i would not want to take off from mme to stop at lba for a flight just to sou. if you can not fill a J41 why bother Eastern, here is a thought... why not charge sensible fares? Then you might even fill your aircraft and become a proper airline. This carrier has had little progression or growth in general over the past years and any they have had is well over shaddowed by axed routes and non-starters.

Meanwhile, Flybe continue to have good loads on the SOU routes with nicer aircraft and better fares!

 

[Aviador]

I wonder how Eastern Airways is performing now with the combined DTV and LBA service. At least from the LBA's passenger perspective they shouldn't notice much of a difference but I wouldn't have thought a stop en-route for the DTV passengers would be very popular.

 

[White Heather]

They will notice a difference when they are left sitting at LBA on a foggy morning, when previously the aircraft was sitting there waiting for them since the night before. I think this move will eventually lead to the loss of the route by Eastern and eventually the disappearance of the airline from LBA. They seem destined to be killed off at LBA by Flybe I think.

 

[lbaspotter]

They will notice a difference when they are left sitting at LBA on a foggy morning, when previously the aircraft was sitting there waiting for them since the night before. I think this move will eventually lead to the loss of the route by Eastern and eventually the disappearance of the airline from LBA. They seem destined to be killed off at LBA by Flybe I think.

That wont most likely happen as Eastern Airways do nowa days seem to keep a spare BAe Jetstraem 41 parked up at LBA for just that said reason.

 

[White Heather]

I didn't know that - thanks. However, that seems like an almighty waste of money and bearing in mind this spare J41 will need a spare crew to fly it, this is surely a luxury that will disappear eventually? I thought that their base at LBA had closed, so on that basis I would not have expected them to have either an aircraft or crew at LBA.

 

[Bigman]

I cannot say that I have seen a spare J41 hanging around. Certainly wasn't one in on Friday.

 

[Bigman]

Me too. if the news last week is to be believed, I suspect the EXE-LBA-ABZ will be axed soon. You only have to look at the CAA stats for the last 6 months to see why. If theye sorted it out and operated twice daily at proper times, then yes, I could see FlyBe (Loganair???) killing Eastern off.