Aberdeen - Groningen
Have Eastern sold bmi a pup ?
NEW FLIGHTS AXED AHEAD OF TAKE-OFF FROM DYCE
An airline is to abandon a new link between Aberdeen and Groningen in Holland in the aftermath of controversy over funding for two separate services to the provincial Dutch city.
A statement from Eastern Airways announced the decision yesterday, less than two weeks before its first scheduled flight.
Mysteriously, the public relations company acting for Eastern later
attempted to retract the statement, but a spokeswoman would not deny that the link is about to be scrapped, before its first scheduled flight on April 26.
The news has fuelled speculation among industry insiders that the
airline will now focus attention on a more obvious tourist destination - with Copenhagen the front-runner.
Eastern was first to announce an intention to fly between Aberdeen and Groningen, but was followed soon after by BMI, with both to be funded by the Scottish Executive's £6.8million route-development fund.
Eastern's Scotland director Graeme Ross blasted BMI last month for following its lead. Ironically, he suggested BMI would have been better off starting flights to Copenhagen.
Last night, however, Eastern did not wish to comment.
Meanwhile, a BMI spokeswoman said they would reserve judgment until Eastern made an official announcement.
But commercial director Crawford Rix said BMI plans to start a
once-daily return service from May 4 would not be affected, whatever the decision by Eastern.
He said bookings for the flights on a 37-seat Embraer aircraft had
only been open for two weeks, but early signs were encouraging.