Eastern Airways

[AirBingley]

Having grown up in the North East there is an element of vanity around MME - so once the cash dries up with T3 to LHR what next? A more interesting proposition is if they can pull off a code share with Star Alliance to T2 - that makes things look a lot more viable and also attractive to LBA - after all there are still a number of BMI / BA remedy slots up for grabs!

 

[stars&sids]

Not strictly LBA related but Eastern have the go ahead to start MME / LHR flights from September - theres been a big announcement from the mayor up there (presumably with deep pockets) - I wonder if they are looking at LBA (as its more established but has high connecting traffic) but to succeed it needs a code share and an early morning departure - an E170 would do the job pretty well.

Updates: Flights to Heathrow from Teesside Airport announced

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has called a press conference at the airport

www.gazettelive.co.uk

I’ll tell you what, I wish that Ben Houchen was Mayor of Doncaster !

 

[Seasider]

As already been said, wait until the subsidy runs out, see what happens then.

 

[Finger66]

Regardless of subsidy, an airline doing anything for the here and now has my vote. However I totally agree that the route may not be viable post subsidy. That said, if it does prove a success, and code shares could be developed, could it just manifest into an LHR link from elsewhere? Could just be a night stopper too if that happened! Still think that's a bit of a long shot though

 

[LBA4EVER]

Can just imagine a little eastern E170 parked up with the big boys at heathrow!

 

[lbaspotter]

Eastern Airways summer 2021 flights are now on sale.

Good news is that Leeds/Bradford – Southampton remains 10x weekly 2x daily Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu and 1x daily Fri, Sun whilst the Newquay will operate 4x weekly Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri with all flights using BAe Jetstream 41 equipment.

Mondays
EZE600 = LBA 07:00 – SOU 08:15 / EZE601 = SOU 08:50 – LBA 10:05
EZE682 = LBA 11:10 – NQY 12:35 / EZE683 = NQY 13:10 – LBA 14:35
EZE606 = LBA 17:00 – SOU 18:15 / EZE609 = SOU 18:50 – LBA 20:05

Tuesdays
EZE600 = LBA 07:00 – SOU 08:15 / EZE601 = SOU 08:50 – LBA 10:05
EZE682 = LBA 11:10 – NQY 12:35 / EZE683 = NQY 13:10 – LBA 14:35
EZE606 = LBA 17:00 – SOU 18:15 / EZE609 = SOU 18:50 – LBA 20:05

Wednesdays
EZE600 = LBA 07:00 – SOU 08:15 / EZE601 = SOU 08:50 – LBA 10:05
EZE606 = LBA 17:00 – SOU 18:15 / EZE609 = SOU 18:50 – LBA 20:05

Thursdays
EZE600 = LBA 07:00 – SOU 08:15 / EZE601 = SOU 08:50 – LBA 10:05
EZE682 = LBA 11:10 – NQY 12:35 / EZE683 = NQY 13:10 – LBA 14:35
EZE606 = LBA 17:00 – SOU 18:15 / EZE609 = SOU 18:50 – LBA 20:05

Fridays
EZE682 = LBA 11:10 – NQY 12:35 / EZE683 = NQY 13:10 – LBA 14:35
EZE606 = LBA 16:00 – SOU 17:15 / EZE607 = SOU 17:50 – LBA 19:05

Saturdays
Non Operational

Sundays
EZE606 = LBA 16:00 – SOU 17:15 / EZE607 = SOU 17:50 – LBA 19:05

 

[Finger66]

I would have thought there was scope for T3 to op NQY on weekends too. They don't seem to like flying on Saturdays but no excuse for non-op on Sunday in my eyes. That said, great to see both routes continuing and if this damn virus subsides, then frequency increase may be possible

 

[AirBingley]

A press report at MME to coincide with the first departure to LHR T2 suggests a Codeshare announcement is due in the coming weeks - surely Eastern must have been tapped up by LBA management as on a sub optimal timetable LBA-LHR was carrying 8-10k pax a month (but with maybe 60% connecting to BA flights).

From memory 3 night stop remedy slots are available but I guess use of remedy slots would exclude a BA code share so the code shares would need to be Star Alliance / Skyteam airlines. With the delivery of more jets, is this something we might just see when aviation settles down - maybe from next spring? Could share an aircraft between LBA and MME - the night stop being LBA of course! Any decent long haul code shares would be game changers and the E170 with good timings should be reasonably easy to fill.

Am booked on Thursday's southbound from MME as no LBA flight (never thought I'd say that) so will report back on numbers on the E170. The flight incl bag cost £54.99.

 

[Starflyer]

The remedy slots aren't available for routes like LBA or MME. They're tied to certain routes (EDI and ABZ being the main two) if you fly them for three years, and only after that can you make a decision to use them on alternative short-haul services.

 

[KARFA]

The remedy slots aren't available for routes like LBA or MME. They're tied to certain routes (EDI and ABZ being the main two) if you fly them for three years, and only after that can you make a decision to use them on alternative short-haul services.

I thought they were any domestic route and free to use for anything after 3 years. Tbh I think some commented that the eastern slots weren’t remedial ones and instead leased from another carrier.

 

[Starflyer]

No, the remedy slots are tied to specific routes.

Heathrow have given out quite a lot of new slots for this winter which are really overbookings, expecting that some of those airlines holding slots won't turn up. The slots given to the likes of Westjet, Eastern and others are all on this basis and don't have historic rights for the future. None are leased from other airlines yet - though there's nothing to hold anyone back from such deals if they can find them.

 

[Starflyer]

There are some rumours that LBA-SOU is going to be discontinued in the very near future.

 

[lbaspotter]

There are some rumours that LBA-SOU is going to be discontinued in the very near future.

Eastern Airways have just made redundant some LBA based cabin crews, specifically those not rated on the Embrear 175.

 

[Bigman]

So, if SOU goes, does that mean we will lose NQY as well given that it is our based aircraft that operates it?

 

[Starflyer]

The based aircraft is supposedly staying on to fly LBA-NQY-MAN.

 

[Bigman]

..which, when added to the comment above would seem to indicate that an Embraer will be used instead of a Jetstream.

 

[lbaspotter]

..which, when added to the comment above would seem to indicate that an Embraer will be used instead of a Jetstream.

Not exactly Bigman!
Unlike pilots who haven't being made redundant, cabin crew can be rated across many aircraft types.
Eg: I know one LBA based cabin crew member who can work on BAe Jetstream 41, Saab 2000, Embraer 145 & Embraer 175.

 

[White Heather]

Well SOU is mainly a business route plus a link for people going on cruises so I doubt it is doing well at present. More likely to be suspended than axed.

 

[Bigman]

Thanks for that. As long as it keep flying, I don't really mind what they use on it.

 

[lbaspotter]

Eastern Airways are suspending the Leeds Bradford to Southampton route between 2nd October 2020 to 4th January 2021

There planned W20 schedule resumes 4th January - 10 x Weekly (2 x Daily Mon-Thu & Daily Fri/Sun) all using Jetstream 41 aircraft.