Repacement a/c for Eastern...latest?
 

Thought I read somewhere that T3 were evaluating a JE31/2/41 replacement a few months ago.Does anyone know what the latest is re this & what a/c they may have been evaluating(eg.DO328,ATR42,etc)?

Seems for the busier routes they are happy with Saab 2000s.Are they likely to advance beyond the 4 they currently have?

Finally will they get rid of all their Jetstreams in favour of new equipment,get impression that they are happy to continue using these for the medium term,suits their thin sectors well,although must confess I am getting fed up of seeing Jetstream after Jetstream on the ABZ approach...maybe that says much about my local than anything else... :rolleyes:

Thanks guys/girls :D

Just idle speculation Richard,but I believe they have the -41s on excellent terms,and BAs lease of them runs to 2007ish. Plus they are probably ideal in size/economics,so don't see any change for at least a couple of years.

In fact 2 have just been repatriated from the US,N550HK/N551HK. I can only think of one operator these could be for(it starts with E!)(Unless it's Alpha 1--OK,stupid idea!)

Did see some time ago that 5 Saabs were planned,don't know if that is still the plan.

Evening Osh George,yes they are at Prestwick if memory serves.

Probably get them on favourable terms as well!

They've obviously gone off EMB 135/145s then,prefer the economics of the Saab 2000.

Oh well,guess I'll have to get used to the Jetstreams for a few more years :)

I'm a regular with Eastern. Chatting with the cabin crew the other day, (well alright I was yelling as it was aboard a J41), I asked where the Embraer was. The steward mentioned that it had been too expensive to run and had been returned to its owner.

Super little airline, good service, punctual, and the Spectator mags not a bad read either.

And the mixed vegetable crisps & champagne aren't bad either.

I've been back and forth to Birmingham about 8 times this summer and the loads certainly don't warrant a bigger aircraft on that route.

Anyone know whether the passengers are getting their hot towels on the ABZ-BRS route as promised?

Re: the ERJ-145.

The example formerly operated by Eastern, G-CCYH, left the fleet early this year and is now operated with the same reg by Bmi Regional.

The sole ERJ-135 was returned to it's owner in Sweden almost 2 years ago.

I don't have much info regarding which type(s) may eventually replace the J32/J41's. One report a few months ago suggested T3 were looking at 50-seat types for this purpose (ie Saab 2000) but these would surely offer too much capacity on many routes based on current demand. Given the lack of factory-fresh 30-seat aircraft types on the market, if T3 do decide to start replacing the J32/J41's when the leases begin to expire then I would be very pleased if they were to choose the Do-328, an aircraft which seems a good fit for the capacity and quality Eastern strive to offer.

Of course ,there is nothing to stop Eastern taking out new leases on their current aircraft(BA leases on these expire between 2007-09). This will depend on market prices presumably.

Looking to gauge prices,thought I would check current numbers stored of J41s/D328s,and although not perhaps completely up to date,obtained the following---Jetstream 41s stored(41!,)D328s stored(52),plus D328jets(45). Inconclusive then! I guess it will be who wants to shift them the most! I guess the current fleet is HERE,fully PAINTED,doesn't seem much point in changing!

From what I can gather, the SAAB 2000 were favorite, but as the one's they have at the moment are spending most of the time in maintenance I think plans could be changing?

As has been implied,the Saab is too big for the majority of the routes anyway.

Oshkosh/YYZ

Your information regarding the SAABs is flawed, if not deliberately inaccurate.

They are used extensively on the longer T3 routes, and only spend time in major maintenance when it is necessary to do so, and that is only when Saab themselves call the aircraft back to Sweden.

The fact is, that the Saab is probably one of the most efficent aircraft currently operating in the UK on short haul routes.
On the NWI - ABZ route, it is faster than the BMI EMB145 and can carry more freight and is often better patronised.
On other routes it operates on an ad - hoc basis, it out performs the BA146 and is cheaper to run.

As for the JS41s, yes they are not as comfortable or as big as a B737, but they are very cost efficient for T3's purposes.

Ineviatebly T3 will have to plan for fleet replacement, if they aren't doing so already, but in the interim, why fix it if it aint broke?

niknak,I didn't think I disputed ANY of your post. I mentioned size alone,and it fits some routes ,but certainly not all.

So size does matter?

I personally think the J41 fleet will continue to be used, as said previously the lease rates are alledgedly very favourable, the size fits the majority of its routes and why change while they have 1-2 years left on said leases.

What i cant seem to understand is that no European routes are operated by T3, why?

So the -8-400 would be too big but not for flybe....

nicnak

Why would either of us supply deliberately inaccurate information?
The phrase "from what I can gather" should emphasise that the information could be rumor based?

It is a rumor network after all, the information I have supplied is accurate according to my sources, no guarantee it is correct though.
:ok:

Re T3's likely replacement aircraft, you guys can speculate all you like as to capacity requirements but you are glossing over the main issue.
T3 are not (crrently) a LoCo airline, indeed their fares are on many occasions extremely expensive. I was a reqular commuter on the NCL - BHX route last year and the J41 was NEVER full. The early morning flight tended to be the most patronised with c. 20 pax. but "off peak" flights tended to have sub 10 pax. They made their money by charging c.£180 for the round trip, you booked electronically and similar to EasyJet the price varied according to the usual parameters but was never advertised at less than £134 though I could never get that rate. I did see the rate as high as £296 on occasions.
So you get the point, you will never fill a 328 or any other similar capacity aircraft with this pricing structure. Changing this strategy could become very risky, though maybe it may be forced upon them i.e. you can proably fly NCL to BRS return for £50 and get a taxi to Birmingham cheaper.
So I can't see a significant number of larger capacity aircraft being acquired in the medium term.

Jethro's has just confirmed my guess that N550HK/N551HK ARE for Eastern as G-MAJP/T. I wish I had his contacts. Where did you get that Jethro?

If I was to guess (without looking) I would say he looked at G-info.

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.asp...pplicationid=1

Don't think so,as there's only one there!

Maybe they will be used for the new SYY-ABZ link that they are starting from Jan 2006.