Eastern Airways-2
Join Date: Apr 2001
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There must surely also be a question about the sustainability of an E170 operation. They have 50% more seats than a Saab 2000, 124% more than an SF34 and 162% more than a J41. They must surely be flying with lots of empty seats now, and that must also be true even without competition on the route. So they would have to make decisions about reducing frequency, which won't endear them to their customers.

Join Date: Aug 2007
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So they cant take disabled passengers
Flybe apologises to wheelchair user over Glasgow to Stornoway flight - BBC News
As a lot of pax are paid for by the NHS needing treatment on the mainland this is not good
Flybe apologises to wheelchair user over Glasgow to Stornoway flight - BBC News
As a lot of pax are paid for by the NHS needing treatment on the mainland this is not good

Join Date: Sep 2016
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I did some work with Carpatair when they operated some 15 S2000's, provided they are well maintained with an appropriate spares back up they can be very reliable.

Join Date: Jul 2011
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So I heard a few weeks ago that Eastern were getting rid of the Saabs because they were either expensive to operate or on expensive leases, can't remember which, and that they were getting ATR72s instead, and lo and behold today they register the first one. A couple of questions; 1) how do you replace 9x Saabs with 2x ATRs and 2) where did this order even come from? It was never announced in a press release nor does it appear to have been siphoned off Flybe's order for SAS, so what did they do? Phone ATR and ask if they had any kicking about that they could have?!


Join Date: May 2005
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so what did they do? Phone ATR and ask if they had any kicking about that they could have?!
Last edited by The96er; 9th Sep 2017 at 23:09.

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But wouldn't such a lease have been arranged months ago and resulted in a press release? I've never known an airline take delivery of a shiny new state-of-the-art fleet and not shout about it from the roof tops

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So I heard a few weeks ago that Eastern were getting rid of the Saabs because they were either expensive to operate or on expensive leases, can't remember which, and that they were getting ATR72s instead, and lo and behold today they register the first one. A couple of questions; 1) how do you replace 9x Saabs with 2x ATRs and 2) where did this order even come from? It was never announced in a press release nor does it appear to have been siphoned off Flybe's order for SAS, so what did they do? Phone ATR and ask if they had any kicking about that they could have?! 

Some smaller airlines, including Eastern Airways in the UK, have subsequently acquired 2000s at low cost and operated them on regional routes which experience lower passenger numbers as well on shuttle services in the U.K. for oil and gas personnel working in the North Sea

Fit like min?
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For those 'in the know' the 'IAC' part of the regn is a pretty good clue it will be in ABZ for the SCS oil flights, as IAC (integrated Aviation Consortium I think it stands for) is the conglomerate that makes use of the flights, made up of a number of oil cos and Bristow.

Join Date: Jul 2003
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Are they only getting two ATR72's? I thought there was three Saabs allocated on the Scatsta flights?
Either way I guess one should replace the Etihad one on lease
Either way I guess one should replace the Etihad one on lease

Join Date: Feb 2017
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Airbus (yes airbus) owed Bristows a favour and gave them the ATR's, which they owned (airbus). Something to do with helicopters.
I hear Saab will stop supporting the 2000 in 2020. Brilliant aircraft so it will be a sad day when that happens.
I hear Saab will stop supporting the 2000 in 2020. Brilliant aircraft so it will be a sad day when that happens.

Join Date: Feb 2017
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I have been told by EA staff.
Airbus owned them, for whatever reason. There was some issues with helicopters in relation to Bristows. As a deal, airbus gave the ATR's to Bristows/Eastern for the Shetland operation. EA needed a replacement for the Saab so I suppose it's a win win for everyone.
The financials, I obviously know nothing about.
Airbus owned them, for whatever reason. There was some issues with helicopters in relation to Bristows. As a deal, airbus gave the ATR's to Bristows/Eastern for the Shetland operation. EA needed a replacement for the Saab so I suppose it's a win win for everyone.
The financials, I obviously know nothing about.

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The ATRs will be 'ring fenced' for the integrated IAC contract that Bristow lead with Eastern as a contractor to BRS. I would find it highly unlikely they will be bombing around doing anything else as the IAC will expect these aircraft to be available for Scatsta services (with a back up Saab).
You can't underestimate the importance that Bristow place on the IAC contract and rightfully so.
Its a significant part of their revenue and it's the jewel in the crown of all the offshore contracts in the UKCS.
Unfortunately for BRS the make up of the IAC is about to radically change as the bigger companies sell on their assets to companies who are not traditional BRS clients. Babcock and Loganair are being positively encouraged to sniff about and that could be disaterous for BRS and as a consequence EA.
With renewal not being far off it's in both companies interest to pull out all the stops to keep it. With the well documented losses and share price plummet over the last few years, loose the IAC contract and its not worth thinking about for BRS and as a consequence EA.
It's a perfect storm for EA no matter what you think of them they would be getting absolute dogs abuse if they hadn't taken on the FlyBe work, coupled that with the ATR introduction and it's not ideal, but it's vital that priorities don't get skewed.
They are both going to have to be VERY careful that irrevocable damage isn't done as gaps have started appearing in the Scatsta schedule as the program gets stretched and you can't imagine that hasn't gone unnoticed by the IAC.
The negative press around early FlyBe disruption and cancelling scheduled flights with senior oil co execs on board isn't helping either.
I've read a lot of stuff recently that's patently not true about the relationship between the two companies, there are lots of parts of both EA and BRS that are good and other parts not so, but loose the IAC contract and it's serious serious stuff for both companies.
Lets hope they can work through it.
You can't underestimate the importance that Bristow place on the IAC contract and rightfully so.
Its a significant part of their revenue and it's the jewel in the crown of all the offshore contracts in the UKCS.
Unfortunately for BRS the make up of the IAC is about to radically change as the bigger companies sell on their assets to companies who are not traditional BRS clients. Babcock and Loganair are being positively encouraged to sniff about and that could be disaterous for BRS and as a consequence EA.
With renewal not being far off it's in both companies interest to pull out all the stops to keep it. With the well documented losses and share price plummet over the last few years, loose the IAC contract and its not worth thinking about for BRS and as a consequence EA.
It's a perfect storm for EA no matter what you think of them they would be getting absolute dogs abuse if they hadn't taken on the FlyBe work, coupled that with the ATR introduction and it's not ideal, but it's vital that priorities don't get skewed.
They are both going to have to be VERY careful that irrevocable damage isn't done as gaps have started appearing in the Scatsta schedule as the program gets stretched and you can't imagine that hasn't gone unnoticed by the IAC.
The negative press around early FlyBe disruption and cancelling scheduled flights with senior oil co execs on board isn't helping either.
I've read a lot of stuff recently that's patently not true about the relationship between the two companies, there are lots of parts of both EA and BRS that are good and other parts not so, but loose the IAC contract and it's serious serious stuff for both companies.
Lets hope they can work through it.
