DND/MAN dead or just sleeping?
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.