Eastern Airways-3
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Eastern Airways to offer flights to London, starting next month
https://cornwallreports.co.uk/cornwa...ng-next-month/
https://cornwallreports.co.uk/cornwa...ng-next-month/
Eastern Airways has won the four-year Public Service Obligation contract, which will start on 2nd December. The costs of the subsidy will be shared between Cornwall Council and the Department for Transport.
The council will pay Eastern Airways £439,000 per year.
The new service will operate one flight per day until 9th January, and then two flights per day until 30th June. Between 1st July and 31st August there will be three flights per day.
County Hall’s director of infrastructure, Nigel Blacker, said two airlines had submitted tenders but only one met the council’s requirements.
“The preferred tender from Eastern Airways will provide for a rebuilding of the route after the COVID-19 Pandemic,” he said. “This tender is unlikely to reach the former patronage levels of 180,000 passengers per annum but is predicted to deliver over 130,000 passenger
County Hall’s director of infrastructure, Nigel Blacker, said two airlines had submitted tenders but only one met the council’s requirements.
“The preferred tender from Eastern Airways will provide for a rebuilding of the route after the COVID-19 Pandemic,” he said. “This tender is unlikely to reach the former patronage levels of 180,000 passengers per annum but is predicted to deliver over 130,000 passengers per annum by 2025 and the capacity for more if travel market conditions change more quickly than predicted.
“The route will initially start at the beginning of December 2021 and, if demand allows, for twice daily flights to London Gatwick building up to flights three times per day from summer 2022 falling back to twice per day in September and October 2022. The route will follow this service pattern until the end of the contract in October 2025.”
The council will pay Eastern Airways £439,000 per year.
The new service will operate one flight per day until 9th January, and then two flights per day until 30th June. Between 1st July and 31st August there will be three flights per day.
County Hall’s director of infrastructure, Nigel Blacker, said two airlines had submitted tenders but only one met the council’s requirements.
“The preferred tender from Eastern Airways will provide for a rebuilding of the route after the COVID-19 Pandemic,” he said. “This tender is unlikely to reach the former patronage levels of 180,000 passengers per annum but is predicted to deliver over 130,000 passenger
County Hall’s director of infrastructure, Nigel Blacker, said two airlines had submitted tenders but only one met the council’s requirements.
“The preferred tender from Eastern Airways will provide for a rebuilding of the route after the COVID-19 Pandemic,” he said. “This tender is unlikely to reach the former patronage levels of 180,000 passengers per annum but is predicted to deliver over 130,000 passengers per annum by 2025 and the capacity for more if travel market conditions change more quickly than predicted.
“The route will initially start at the beginning of December 2021 and, if demand allows, for twice daily flights to London Gatwick building up to flights three times per day from summer 2022 falling back to twice per day in September and October 2022. The route will follow this service pattern until the end of the contract in October 2025.”
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Possibly LGW-NQY-LQW is a morning flight with ATR 72-600 until 9th Jan
So the the ATR 72-600 might run LGW-NQY-LQW-SOU-BHD-SOU-LGW
but from 9th Jan onwards might need to use E190 on SOU-BHD-SOU
though there is a rumour that Flybe may lease an Q400 to them and might be to operate SOU-BHD-SOU from January?
when flights go x2 Daily
So the the ATR 72-600 might run LGW-NQY-LQW-SOU-BHD-SOU-LGW
but from 9th Jan onwards might need to use E190 on SOU-BHD-SOU
though there is a rumour that Flybe may lease an Q400 to them and might be to operate SOU-BHD-SOU from January?
when flights go x2 Daily
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The upcoming NTE/RNS flights that are due to start at the end of March 2022 were also slated to be operated by ATR aircraft.
NTE is due to operate on Mon, Wed & Fri
RNS is due to operate on Tue, Thu & Sun
Would these likely be operated in between the morning and evening flights to BHD?
I can see T3 dropping both DUB & MAN if/when SI eventually start as there is not likely to be enough demand for both operators on these routes, or is there?
NTE is due to operate on Mon, Wed & Fri
RNS is due to operate on Tue, Thu & Sun
Would these likely be operated in between the morning and evening flights to BHD?
I can see T3 dropping both DUB & MAN if/when SI eventually start as there is not likely to be enough demand for both operators on these routes, or is there?
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Eastern are to operate from Humberside to Newquay this summer, twice a week on a Monday and Friday. Expect it is an indirect replacement for their dropped Leeds to Newquay route.
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Reckon Eastern will get a harsh wake up call when BE announce new routes over the next few weeks, starting on Tuesday and expect network changes from them!
Last edited by SKOJB; 19th Mar 2022 at 13:46.
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Looking at what remains of the Eastern operation, I am not so sure they will see it as the end of their world.
I reckon they have 11 aircraft now serviceable: 8 J41s, 2 ATRs & 1 E190.
One ATR is on the NQY PSO route so presumably will survive. The other is covering the SOU programme - maybe some risk there but currently the summer schedule appears to need two ATRs so a J41 will continue operating if there are no cutbacks.
The J41s fly out of ABZ to WIC (PSO) LSI (oil contract) NCL & HUY. Not routes that would be high on anyone's target list I would have thought and as the J41s cost little to operate will likely continue until they can't be cost effectively maintained.
CWL - BHD likely goes - may depend on the fate of the VLY PSO route (is that still a thing?)
I guess the E190 will be kept occupied with charter work and deputising for the odd schedule or maybe NQY in the peak season if the extra uplift is required.
There's no denying Eastern are not renowned for sticking around when any competition shows up, however many have forecast their demise over the years yet somehow they keep soldiering on.
I reckon they have 11 aircraft now serviceable: 8 J41s, 2 ATRs & 1 E190.
One ATR is on the NQY PSO route so presumably will survive. The other is covering the SOU programme - maybe some risk there but currently the summer schedule appears to need two ATRs so a J41 will continue operating if there are no cutbacks.
The J41s fly out of ABZ to WIC (PSO) LSI (oil contract) NCL & HUY. Not routes that would be high on anyone's target list I would have thought and as the J41s cost little to operate will likely continue until they can't be cost effectively maintained.
CWL - BHD likely goes - may depend on the fate of the VLY PSO route (is that still a thing?)
I guess the E190 will be kept occupied with charter work and deputising for the odd schedule or maybe NQY in the peak season if the extra uplift is required.
There's no denying Eastern are not renowned for sticking around when any competition shows up, however many have forecast their demise over the years yet somehow they keep soldiering on.
Looking at what remains of the Eastern operation, I am not so sure they will see it as the end of their world.
I reckon they have 11 aircraft now serviceable: 8 J41s, 2 ATRs & 1 E190.
One ATR is on the NQY PSO route so presumably will survive. The other is covering the SOU programme - maybe some risk there but currently the summer schedule appears to need two ATRs so a J41 will continue operating if there are no cutbacks.
The J41s fly out of ABZ to WIC (PSO) LSI (oil contract) NCL & HUY. Not routes that would be high on anyone's target list I would have thought and as the J41s cost little to operate will likely continue until they can't be cost effectively maintained.
CWL - BHD likely goes - may depend on the fate of the VLY PSO route (is that still a thing?)
I guess the E190 will be kept occupied with charter work and deputising for the odd schedule or maybe NQY in the peak season if the extra uplift is required.
There's no denying Eastern are not renowned for sticking around when any competition shows up, however many have forecast their demise over the years yet somehow they keep soldiering on.
I reckon they have 11 aircraft now serviceable: 8 J41s, 2 ATRs & 1 E190.
One ATR is on the NQY PSO route so presumably will survive. The other is covering the SOU programme - maybe some risk there but currently the summer schedule appears to need two ATRs so a J41 will continue operating if there are no cutbacks.
The J41s fly out of ABZ to WIC (PSO) LSI (oil contract) NCL & HUY. Not routes that would be high on anyone's target list I would have thought and as the J41s cost little to operate will likely continue until they can't be cost effectively maintained.
CWL - BHD likely goes - may depend on the fate of the VLY PSO route (is that still a thing?)
I guess the E190 will be kept occupied with charter work and deputising for the odd schedule or maybe NQY in the peak season if the extra uplift is required.
There's no denying Eastern are not renowned for sticking around when any competition shows up, however many have forecast their demise over the years yet somehow they keep soldiering on.
Yeah that’s because the owner keeps having to put his hands in his wallet to keep the airline afloat. Any other normal business would have gone years ago. It ranks as a basket case airline.
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I find the entire thing odd
why have an aircraft sitting around doing nothing for so long each day when there are markets they could be using that aircraft on which would make money
LBA is another odd decision. That’s always been a busy route, now dropped when they have an ATR sat on the ground at Nqy, even when it did run it was ex lba !
odd decision overall by ccc as usual to have eastern operate the pso
cs
why have an aircraft sitting around doing nothing for so long each day when there are markets they could be using that aircraft on which would make money
LBA is another odd decision. That’s always been a busy route, now dropped when they have an ATR sat on the ground at Nqy, even when it did run it was ex lba !
odd decision overall by ccc as usual to have eastern operate the pso
cs
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I don’t think HUY is an odd route - NQY has been served from multiple regional airports until the demise of Flybe and Covid. I also agree with CS that the total loss of LBA is odd along with lack of usage of the aircraft that is just sat there. Someone suggested CCC weren’t interested in BA to LCY which was supposedly the other bidder, perhaps that would have been a better outcome (and opened up some connections).
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I agree; surely it'd be best to operate NQY-LGW-NQY-LBA-NQY, or possibly base the ATR up at LBA and operate LBA-NQY-LGW-NQY-LBA on a twice-daily basis on weekdays and then once-daily at weekends?
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On their latest financial statement to Companies House Eastern, make a statement that their directors believe 'due to the use of fuel efficient turbo-prop aircraft they enjoy a competitive advantage over the rest of the industry.'
Shame they always seem to shirk a direct fist fight for bums on seats.
Shame they always seem to shirk a direct fist fight for bums on seats.
Last edited by cavokblues; 21st Mar 2022 at 15:57.