Eastern airways dundee?

[mainecoon]

any idea why eastern have withdrawn dundee manchester, poor loads maybe?

and does the same fate await the inverness service , an airport with to few routes as it is

Thanxs in advance

[niknak]

I don't know the real reason, but I suspect that very average loads and increased operating costs would have a lot to do with it.
Eastern are in the process of replacing the JS32 with the JS41 on many routes, and have just put an additional E135 on the NWI - EDI run, to compliment the existing NWI - ABZ E135 service.

I strongly suspect that the MAN - DUN route was subsidised, and that the recently increased operating costs werent covered by the income recieved. If so, Eastern are no different from all the other operators who've tried the route - and eventually ditched it for exactly the same reasons.

[Shed-on-a-Pole]

NIKNAK -

You say that other operators have ditched MAN-DND "for exactly the same reasons" (as Eastern). I suggest that you are mistaken in this. If memory serves me, the only other operator on this particular route in recent years was Business Air, now a part of BMI. They served MAN-DND successfully for a number of seasons; aircraft often routed ABZ-DND-MAN which no doubt helped the viability of the service, however the DND sector appeared to be well supported. I believe that GNT eventually dropped the route to release runway slots at MAN for the launch of a MAN-BFS operation which was considered a priority at that time. Part of GNT's business was the provision of connecting traffic onto the networks of Lufthansa and SAS and they wanted a BFS connection. The DND rotation was the obvious flight to make way, as a GNT non-stop ABZ-MAN also operated at similar times of day; if the non-stop service had been sacrificed in favour of the DND stopper, BA would have gained a competitive advantage on the ABZ-MAN sector. Business Air dropped INV-MAN at around the same time. I think you will agree that these circumstances are quite different from those affecting Eastern today.

I suggest that Eastern's disappointments on the DND-MAN route are more likely to be related to the relatively high fare structure which the company offers. Eastern fares (in my opinion) appear to be pitched towards the business end of the market only. This is not a criticism; simply an observation that leisure travellers are likely to by-pass such fares in favour of significantly cheaper deals on such routes as EDI-MAN. Perhaps Eastern should consider an INV-DND-MAN routeing instead?

If anybody can correct or otherwise explain the circumstances described above, please feel free to do so.

[virginblue]

Wasn't there a rumour a couple of weeks ago that Eastern might aye the INV/DND-MAN services in reaction to bmi regional starting NWI-ABZ services in competition with Eastern ? The INV/MAN flights were to some extent planned as feeders for bmi flights out of MAN. I guess that Eastern was not too enthusiastic when their partner announced the NWI-ABZ route....

[dundoniandean]

Quoted from the local Dundee morning newspaper - The Courier, dated Friday 14th March 2003

AIRLINE SUSPENDS DUNDEE SERVICE

EASTERN AIRWAYS have halted their service between Dundee Airport and Manchester-just over four months after it was first launched, writes Ian Findlay, industrial reporter.

However, the link will be re-launched at the end of this month, with fewer rotations, but using a bigger aircraft.

The company admitted yesterday that the passenger take-up for the Dundee-Manchester link had been "poor", but it was hoped the revised service as part of the airline’s summer schedule would prove more popular.

Passengers would be able to begin booking seats again for flights between Dundee and Manchester "within the next two to three days."

Eastern Airways launched their service from Dundee Airport at the beginning of November, five years after a similar link to Manchester fell victim to cuts to regional services made by operator British Midland.

At the time the company said that bookings for the new service had been "well above expectations."

But it appears that since then the take up of seats had been variable-with some aircraft largely full and others virtually empty.

The company has been operating a Jetstream 31, with a capacity of up to 19 passengers, on the Dundee-Manchester link-flying four "rotations" a day.

When the service is resumed at the end of this month, to coincide with the launch of the summer schedule for Eastern Airways, the airline will use a Jetstream 41, capable of carrying up to 29 passengers.

However, the number of rotations per day will be reduced to three.

The aircraft employed on the service will also be based in Manchester, rather than in Dundee, and will also link in with a service to Stansted.

A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said they had not received any confirmation from the company regarding the situation surrounding the Dundee-Manchester service suspension.

"We’re looking to contact them," added the spokesperson.

[Mister Geezer]

I hope it works out for the DND crew who are now probably faced with a sink or swim situation since the base is now closed.

Richard Lake (MD) did say a few months ago in the press that he was finding the Dundee route a bit of a struggle.

[mainecoon]

thanks for all replies