Eastern Airways

[Bigman]

Wow, some good news at last. I wonder if this could kill off the FlyBe EXE-LBA-ABZ service seeing as Flybe seem to have finally won the LBA-SOU battle.

 

[lbaspotter]

The new Eastern Airways schedule for there Aberdeen - Leeds/Bradford - Bristol service will run as follows from October 2nd 2011. Just to note flights are now on sale via there website at http://www.easternairways.com

Mondays Tuesdays & Wednesdays = All flights operated Dash 8-300's

EZE4501 = ABZ 06:50 – LBA 07:55
EZE4501 = LBA 08:15 – BRS 09:25
EZE4502 = BRS 06:45 – LBA 07:50
EZE4502 = LBA 08:10 – ABZ 09:20
EZE4505 = ABZ 11:30 – LBA 12:35
EZE4505 = LBA 12:55 – BRS 14:00
EZE4506 = BRS 12:05 – LBA 13:10
EZE4506 = LBA 13:30 – ABZ 14:40
EZE4507 = ABZ 17:00 – LBA 18:10
EZE4507 = LBA 18:35 – BRS 19:45
EZE4508 = BRS 17:15 – LBA 18:25
EZE4508 = LBA 18:50 – ABZ 19:55

Thursdays & Fridays = All flights operated by Dash 8-300's
EZE4501 = ABZ 06:50 – LBA 07:55
EZE4501 = LBA 08:15 – BRS 09:25
EZE4502 = BRS 06:45 – LBA 07:50
EZE4502 = LBA 08:10 – ABZ 09:20
EZE4505 = ABZ 15:00 – LBA 16:10
EZE4505 = LBA 16:20 – BRS 17:30
EZE4506 = BRS 13:45 – LBA 14:50
EZE4506 = LBA 15:15 – ABZ 16:20
EZE4507 = ABZ 17:00 – LBA 18:10
EZE4507 = LBA 18:35 – BRS 19:45
EZE4508 = BRS 18:00 – LBA 19:10
EZE4508 = LBA 19:30 – ABZ 20:45

Sundays = All flights operated by Saab 2000's
EZE4503 = ABZ 15:55 – LBA 16:55
EZE4503 = LBA 17:10 – BRS 18:15
EZE4504 = BRS 18:35 – LBA 19:30
EZE4504 = LBA 19:45 – ABZ 20:45

 

[tleeds]

I'm a little confused on how the Eastern/AirSouthWest Airline will work. With a lot of variations in the aircraft that Eastern now operates, can we see them moving to one sole aircraft type?

Also, I understand from looking back a few pages that the Air SouthWest brand is to be shut down, do Eastern have enough aircraft to cater for the extra routes they are taking on, if they are removing all the Dash 8's from the fleet?

 

[LeedsPilot]

I'm a little confused on how the Eastern/AirSouthWest Airline will work. With a lot of variations in the aircraft that Eastern now operates, can we see them moving to one sole aircraft type?

Also, I understand from looking back a few pages that the Air SouthWest brand is to be shut down, do Eastern have enough aircraft to cater for the extra routes they are taking on, if they are removing all the Dash 8's from the fleet?

Eastern are not taking on extra routes, rather all Air Southwest routes are being shutdown as Plymouth City Airport is also closing down and Eastern deemed it 'not financially viable' to just operate out of Newquay. These routes were already making losses anyway, but they are still a loss for LBA. I wonder if anyone knows what the loads were like?

As for Eastern Airways' fleet, it has already been mentioned that they have many aircraft types which will cause higher maintenance and crew training costs etc. which can't be a good thing. Also, I believe that they are in the process of removing all Dash 8-300's from their fleet.

 

[Seasider]

If that schedule is correct, they will not be getting rid of the Dash 8 in the immediate future. I agree that they may be trying to get their own back on Flybe to get them to withdraw from LBA/ABZ.

 

[tleeds]

Thank you very much MAS737 and Seasider. :smile:

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I have posted before that I believe sector flights such as this are the way forward in domestic and very short haul travel. This appears on the surface to be a decent effort by Eastern following their dropping of Southampton.

Just as an aside, the German Airline OLT operates 3 Saab 2000 aircraft and is effectively dropping all routes operated by them in October. If I were at Eastern, I would certainly be looking at gaining these 3 aircraft and removing the 300's. It has to, at least, be a possibility. Especially considering the performance benefits of the type. Also, regarding crew training costs, surely Eastern also picked up the Air Southwest staff who can operate these aircraft?

One more thing - Eastern wouldn't necessarily be able to operate a large Saab 2000 fleet, purely due to the fact that only 54 remain.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

One aircraft will have to be based at Bristol, or at least overnight there - there have been rumours about a crew base.

Eastern have revised their schedule from that published until recently. The morning and evening flights remain though timings altered slightly. The difference is the middle of the day flight which used to be non-stop from ABZ to BRS then back on an Eastern Jetstream J41.

The new schedule provides work throughout the day for the two Dash 8-300s. Previously it looked as though one would remain on the ground at BRS from mid morning (when it arrived from ABZ via LBA) until teatime when it flew to ABZ via LBA.

Weekends in the winter may find the Dashes doing football and rugby charter work. ASW was used quite often for Welsh rugby club away matches in the Wales/Scotland/Ireland/Italy league (Magners League though I believe there is a new sponsor this season)) so an aircraft based at BRS would be convenient. Swansea City and Cardiff City also used ASW for away matches though the two Bristol football clubs seem less keen on air travel.

 

[White Heather]

Leeds United have also used ASW on a few occasions, when Uncle Ken said they could afford it. That might not be as often now - I was amazed to see that when they played Southampton a few weeks back, the travelled down by bus on the day of the match. No wonder they played rubbish! Last time they played there they flew down and they were only in League 1 then!

Anyway, I hope the Dash 8 300's remain, if only because once they do go, we will probably not see them at LBA again and they will join the ever lengthening list of aircraft types that are no longer seen, which always makes me sad.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

Just to add on to my previous post, could it even be in Eastern's interests to retain the Dash 8? As I have mentioned, the Saab 2000 is not big on numbers around the world and surely it would be cheaper overall to operate the Dash 8 as a fleet leader rather than an obsolete aircraft? Also, it would make any future aircraft purchases easier (should they wish to add to their fleet). Of course, the Saab has the performance advantage, but how much of a difference does that make on the routes Eastern operate?

 

[Bigman]

I take it that the Saturday BRS-LBA is being dropped then?

 

[lbaspotter]

I take it that the Saturday BRS-LBA is being dropped then?

We don't have a Saturday Bristol service as things stand. Air Southwest dropped the Saturday link to Bristol last year.

The Saturday flight that currently runs only operates in the summer as a direct Newquay-Leeds-Newquay service. It use to call into Plymouth as well before it was closed recently. My guess is that this wont be returning next summer as well.

 

[Seasider]

Has anyone heard if they are to paint a dash 8 in Eastern colours or titles?

 

[White Heather]

If, as we are being told, they intend to get rid of the Dash 8's, I wouldn't expect anything other than Eastern titles being applied in place of Air South West, although I would love to see them repainted in the fairly smart Eastern colours - anything is better than the (in my opinion) dreadful and dated ASW colours.

 

[lbaspotter]

The 3x current active Dash 8's G-WOWA, B & E are all owned by the airline and are staying in the Eastern Airways fleet for the foreseeable future. These 3 aircraft have already had there ownership reregistered over to Eastern Airways based at Humberside. Weather they get a repaint remains to be seen. But I would expect to see Eastern Airways titles been added in replacement of the Air Southwest titles.

The 2 leased Dash 8's G-WOWC & D had already been withdrawn from the Air Southwest active flying fleet and returned to there respective leassor’s before they where fully taken over by and put onto Eastern Airways, AOC last month.

I understand that the current Air Southwest, flight and cabin crews have had there employment contracts transferred (tuped) and they are now working for Eastern Airways. It dose look like that 2x of the Dash 8's will be based up at Aberdeen while the 3rd aircraft will be based at Bristol from October, but this has not confirmed by anyone as yet.

 

[LeedsPilot]

Dash 8-300 G-WOWD is now operating as VH-QQM for Skytrans Airlines in northern Australia for anyone interested. Don't know where G-WOWC went though.

 

[lbaspotter]

I see Eastern Airways have a nice big advertisement on there website home page at the moment regarding the 3x daily weekday flight choice that there going to start offering on the Aberdeen-Leeds/Bradford-Bristol route from October.

I wonder when the marketing team up at LBA will wake up and add a Press Release on it's own website regarding the change?? As always there way behind...

See the add below = Source http://www.easternairways.com

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I wonder when the marketing team up at LBA will wake up and add a Press Release on it's own website regarding the change??

Bristol Airport has had a section in its website news section, with a trailer on the home page, since 25 August. I can't see anything on the Aberdeen Airport website though.

 

[lbaspotter]

Well i'll be dammed. Somebody at LBA must have noticed my comment on here last night regarding the increase of services to Aberdeen and Bristol by Eastern Airways as a press release has now appeared on the Airport's official facebook status this morning
I guess it will be appearing on the airports website news section soon as well.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/notes/leeds...benefit-yorkshire-travellers/272825286062478.

More Leeds Bradford Services to Benefit Yorkshire Travellers
by Leeds Bradford Airport on Wednesday, 31 August 2011 at 09:22

Eastern Airways is introducing even greater choice of services to benefit Yorkshire travellers with more flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Aberdeen and Bristol.

The Humberside-based airline, which is the UK’s second largest regional carrier, will increase Leeds Bradford services from to two three each weekday to both Aberdeen and Bristol from 3 October 2011.

Weekday flights to Aberdeen will depart from Leeds Bradford at 8.10am, 1.30pm (Mon-Wed), 3.15pm (Thu-Fri), 6.50pm (Mon-Wed) and 7.30pm (Thu-Fri). Weekday services leave Aberdeen at 6.50am, 11.30am (Mon-Wed), 3pm (Thu-Fri) and 5pm.

Bristol weekday flights will leave Leeds Bradford at 8.15am, 12.55pm (Mon-Wed), 4.20pm Thu-Fri) and 6.35pm. Weekday services depart Bristol at 6.45am, 12.05pm (Mon-Wed), 1.45pm (Thu-Fri), and 5.15pm (Mon-Wed) and 6pm (Thu-Fri).

A Sunday service will also continue to be offered to Bristol and Aberdeen from Leeds Bradford.

Aberdeen in north east Scotland is Europe’s energy capital with the vibrant oil industry. Bristol is famous for its association with civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel who built the Clifton Suspension bridge and SS Great Britain. The city is the largest commercial centre in the south west of England with business links to Yorkshire including finance, insurance, manufacturing, construction, and retail sectors.

Kay Ryan, Eastern Airways’ commercial director, said: “We’re providing Yorkshire business travellers with greater choice and flexibility by offering more flights to Aberdeen and Bristol to meet demand. Passengers will be able to maximise day visits, saving valuable time.”

Tony Hallwood, Leeds Bradford International Airport’s commercial and aviation development director, said: “Leeds Bradford welcomes the decision by Eastern Airways to increase flight frequency to both Bristol and Aberdeen. Yorkshire businesses can now take advantage of increased flexibility in their travel plans to both the south west and Scotland. We also look forward to working alongside Welcome to Yorkshire to attract an increasing number of leisure travellers to the region for city breaks to Leeds, Harrogate and York.”

Eastern Airways is consistently one of the UK’s most punctual scheduled airlines and has been operating from Leeds Bradford for eight years.

The regional airline was formed more than 13 years ago and has a fleet of 30 aircraft flying from 21 airports in the UK, Ireland, Norway and France.

Passengers flying with the airline are not charged for check-in, baggage, choice of seat or onboard drinks and snacks. Check-in closes just 20 minutes before the departure time and all passengers can use the dedicated fast track security channel at Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen airports to avoid any queues.

 

[Bigman]

Are there any other potential business routes that we feel could be viable for Eastern to operate? It would be nice to see them do somewhere like Zurich with one of the ERJ135's or an SB2000.