Eastern Airways

[George Tower]

Hi

I'm working on a business plan for a start up on the other side of the world. But originally coming from the UK, I have noticed amidst all the fan fare of Easyjet and Ryanair, that Eastern have been growing steadily and significantly.

I would be interested to know about the history of Eastern and their business strategy and their market niche that they serve, as well as their load factors. Additionally does any one have any financial info, i.e. how profitable they are.

Many thanks

GT

[night hawk 150]

companies house

hi i work at stansted and saw eastern come in on its first flight and agree with you they have been growing at a nice steady pace as they are in and out of stansted a few times for a small airline but you might find some information on this nice littlw limited comapny on the companies house website.


http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/


you can search for information using the company number which are detailed below.

Name & Registered Office:
EASTERN AIRWAYS (UK) LIMITED
CHARTER HOUSE
56 HIGH STREET
SUTTON COLD FIELD
WEST MIDLANDS B72 1UJ
Company No. 03468489


------------------------

Name & Registered Office:
EASTERN AIRWAYS (EUROPE) LIMITED
CHARTER HOUSE
56 HIGH STREET
SUTTON COLDFIELD
WEST MIDLANDS B72 1UJ
Company No. 03590808


good luck with your search

craig

[PAXboy]

All I know is that, an Isle of Man travel Agent told my mother last week that, on the route from IOM to BRS (direct) in a J41, Eastern are the most expensive price per mile of anyone else on ANY route off the Island! Accordingly, my mother is taking a change at LPL and going to EXT. This gets her closer to her destination and is £80 cheaper on the days she wants to travel.

(ps GT, give a nod to hot an' dusty Ge-Orgh, as some of the locasl say. It's a great little airport but my family have moved away from Knysna, so do not expect to use it much now.)

[niknak]

Paxboy

Eastern specialise in routes that enable the business user to do a days work and then return home or to the office the same day, and they charge about the same as the first class (open) return rail fare.

For example, they operate Norwich - Manchester return 3 times daily, at 0645, 1430 and 1730, the flight takes 40 minutes. The road journey is at least 4 and a half hours, the rail journey is roughly the same. The return air fare is around £190, the return frist class open rail fare is £170 and takes 4 hours longer.

The vast majority of other routes are operated on the same basis.

Eastern took on many routes which were previously operated by British Airways subsidaries within the UK, and have proved to be very successful.
They've not expanded their fleet too quickly, the EMB135/SAAB2000/Jetstream 41s are ideal for the services they operate on.

They aren't the cheapest, but it depends on how much your time is worth, and in this respect they offer an extremely efficient service which I have used on many occasions.
At several airports they run head to head with low cost operators to the same destinations, but haven't seen a major loss of revenue.

Their business model is one that would work very well elsewhere, it really depends on whether you can find the backing to keep going through the first two years whilst building up the trade.

[Helen49]

I think it is true to say that they have scarcely started any route from scratch. All/most of their routes are those which other operators, using larger units, have been unable to make viable or they were abandoned because they did not fit in with their other routes etc. This of course means that they have rarely had to suffer the high costs associated with route start ups!
However, a splendid example of an operator surviving despite the LOCOs and providing a pretty good service.

H49

[airhumberside]

I never knew Eastern where registered in Sutton Coldfield

Eastern started flights in 1997 (I think) from HUY, their base to ABZ. Other early flghts included the now dropped NWI-HUY-GLA route

[Fried_Chicken]

Eastern also operate quite a few 'private' charters aswell as the scheduled routes. I think they also have a contract with BAe/Airbus for transporting workers between its UK sites

FC

[airhumberside]

I think they also have a contract with BAe/Airbus for transporting workers between its UK sites

Filton-Hawarden/Warton and Cambridge-Warton I believe. Hawarden flights with a Jetstream 41, Warton flights with a Jetstream 32

[PAXboy]

niknak No problem. I was pointing out that they charge (and achieve) high fares!!!! Thanks for the background, your explanation is helpful.