Eastern Airways

[lbaspotter]

Eastern Airways routes from Leeds to both Aberdeen and Southampton are now fully bookable on the Flybe.com website. As predicted all flights now show Flybe's (BE) code instead of Eastern Airways (T3) code

 

[lbaspotter]

Eastern Airways has just posted the following flight information regards its new Partnership with Flybe on both its website and social media outlets.
It seems like flights prices are going to be lower than currently are on both its Leeds/Bradford to Aberdeen and Southampton routes, it has also allowed Flybe to open up further onward flight connections via its Southampton base.

New fares
Leeds-Aberdeen = £59.99 One-way
Leeds-Southampton = £42.99 One-way

Eastern Airways
2 hrs ·
Our new five-year franchise agreement with Flybe starts on 29 October 2017, when all our services will carry BE flight codes.

Passengers booking travel for on or after 29 October can now book directly via www.Flybe.com while those booking for travel on 28 October or before will continue to book at www.EasternAirways.com

All Eastern Airways flights are now bookable and on sale atwww.Flybe.com

 

[White Heather]

And, as per LBA management today, Eastern flights will be marketed via Flybe's website from 29th October.

 

[Finger66]

Read into this what you will but if you check T3 routes from November in GDS you can only book these as a BE flight number. The T3 flight number is zero'd out for availability. So is this the start of more than just marketing by Flybe? Even if only marketing then what happens to the Eastern res and support depts? This to me is the start of the phasing out of the Eastern brand, although I hope not. But if it does help towards improved reliability through whatever tie up comes with Flybe then who are we to argue!

 

[imagineif]

Flight codes all to become BE, Aircraft to all be painted Flybe in time, Onboard service concept BOB as predicted. Must say.. the new fares bookable after 28th October are brilliant.

 

[lbaspotter]

Interesting movement by Eastern Airways as I see the closing the Teesside & Humberside Jetstream 41 bases. Good news is that both Humberside and Teesside retain a 3 daily service to Aberdeen. Flights will be operated by a Humberside based Saab 2000 which will call into Teesside in both directions.

Now it makes you wonder with 2x spare Jetstream 41 aircraft avaible if Leeds will get a 3rd based aircraft? Because I theory it could allow them to reopen the rumored Flybe franchise route to Glasgow, just so long as they have enough crew of course!

 

[White Heather]

It looks as though Eastern's logo on the LBA on line arrivals/departures, is to be replaced with the Flybe logo, as all logos are now missing against Eastern flights, although why they can't just replace them with the Flybe logos, which are already in use, is beyond me. They must be having a bad day as they are also still showing several ZB arrivals on the board , almost a month after Monarch ceased trading.

 

[Aviador]

The website is already looking tired and out of sync with the arrival and departure information, news and press releases.Hopefully the new company will want to put there own stamp on it.

 

[Britannia94]

The website is already looking tired and out of sync with the arrival and departure information, news and press releases.Hopefully the new company will want to put there own stamp on it.

Also guessing it will need updating to have the new owners logo on the bottom as opppsed to Bridgepoint

 

[Finger66]

Interesting movement by Eastern Airways as I see the closing the Teesside & Humberside Jetstream 41 bases. Good news is that both Humberside and Teesside retain a 3 daily service to Aberdeen. Flights will be operated by a Humberside based Saab 2000 which will call into Teesside in both directions.

Now it makes you wonder with 2x spare Jetstream 41 aircraft avaible if Leeds will get a 3rd based aircraft? Because I theory it could allow them to reopen the rumored Flybe franchise route to Glasgow, just so long as they have enough crew of course!

Much as we would all love to see the new T3/BE merger, sorry did I just say merger, op LBA -GLA whether just as purely point to point or as a stop on NWI - GLA or CWL - GLA the closing of the MME bases has probably more to do with an opportunity to withdraw another J41 or two which we know they want to replace. That would also help with crewing shortages. That said, it's well documented that there are now loads of unsustainable routes that LM and T3/BE are very stupidly going head to head on so MME ain't gonna be the last to lose flights or a based a/c so yes let's hope a spare a/c from somewhere, whether LM, T3 or BE, or as an outsider Stobart Air as a BE franchise, becomes available for LBA - GLA. Suspect our proactive new owners will be looking at a suitable deal to find a way for the route to be reinstated.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I'll be interested to see how this works for Eastern. After all, it is Flybe Operated by Eastern. I don't know how well the Flybe price structure and Eastern's cost structure sit together. I would have thought that, for Eastern to operate the franchise, presumably with a franchise fee that they did not previously have to consider, they will have to make some significant changes to their operation to make it financially viable. Undoubtedly, the Flybe brand, ease of booking and lower prices will encourage more passengers but, from my recent trip to Southampton with Eastern, passenger numbers didn't seem to be an issue.

 

[lbaspotter]

So along with yesterday cancellations and delays, Eastern Airways are now making it look like Flybe cancel lots of flights as well, what with these 4x services been cancelled today.

BE7602 = Leeds-Southampton
BE7605 = Southampton-Leeds
BE7605 = Leeds-Aberdeen
BE7608 = Abdeeen-Leeds

Really dose beg the question as to how long this franchise partnership will last?

 

[lbaspotter]

Good to see that Eastern Airways are now able to offer connections to the Scottish Islands & Highlands via a change of aircraft at Aberdeen using the Flybe franchise. Destination's include Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh & Wick

Not bookable yet on flybe website but it looks like the 1 stop Leeds-Rodez route may make an reappearance next summer 2018 again via Southampton.

 

[tleeds]

As responded to the FlyBe thread;

Eastern have a tech J41 at Leeds at the moment so are currently an aircraft short.
It was yesterday morning on the 10am service, aborted it’s takeoff due to an engine failure. The eastern engineer was overheard saying it’s “f*****”.
They did engine runs later on yesterday afternoon on the taxiway but to no avail. Still very code 41. (tech).

 

[Finger66]

Can management of the respective airports, plus BE, not put some pressure on T3 to get this sorted. Reliability is currently horrendous and cannot be helping attract pax. The J41 is now too long in the tooth and needs replacing now, not over the coming months and years. The phrase used by the engineer should maybe applied to the frame as a whole rather than just the engine!

 

[Finger66]

Been reading elsewhere that T3 have been having more reliability issues, which looks like it's down to crewing shortages. This is with the Saabs and the IOM - LCY route op for BACF. If a full scale merger of T3 and BE, or a takeover of T3 by someone Doesn't happen soon then I am starting to fear the worst for them. They are an absolute shambles at the minute when it comes to reliability. And this from an airline that did really pride itself on being full service and a good service. Oh how times have changed. All this maybe why Loganair has gone head to head with them on some routes as they have spotted the operational weakness. If there ends up being a casualty, which has to be a real possibility, let's hope it's no more than just the 1. Oh how I wish I was further down the line than I am..................................!

 

[lbaspotter]

Eastern Airways are turning into a joke of an operation. Can't see how flybe can be happy with all the recent cancellations, wouldn't surprise we if they ripped up the franchise agreement.

Yesterday saw the following LBA rotations cancelled.
BE7609 = LBA-ABZ
BE7604/7605 = LBA-SOU-LBA
BE7608 = ABZ-LBA

Whilst today was no better with the following rotations all cancelled as well.
BE7609/7602 = LBA-ABZ-LBA
BE7601 = LBA-ABZ
BE7605/7608 = LBA-ABZ-LBA

 

[Finger66]

Heard a rumour they are going to be renamed No Fly Be lol

 

[lbaspotter]

And as if by magic for the 3rd day in a ROW the early Aberdeen rotation is cancelled once again.

BE7909/7602 = LBA-ABZ-LBA

What a joke Eastern Airways are turning into. Please can the last person out of the Humberside operations office please shut the door behind you......

Must be embarrasseing for both the LBA and Flybe management to watch this shambles of Sh-t!!!

 

[Tarn Spotter]

What has to wonder what due diligence Flybe did with regard to this agreement which is falling apart after only 2 months.
The agreement stated "Risk sharing" one assumes this means financial as well as other risks, with the financial state of Flybe, "Frying pan in to the fire" comes to mind.