They will also have a oneworld competitor - BA already operate LCYAMS!

I would like to see them have a go at an ABZ - NCL - LCY route with the S2000, twice daily M - F

Are their Saab 2000s utilised fully at the moment, or is there plenty scope to utilise them more fully? Are they still looking for more?

More SAABs
 

Rumour has it, that there are two more winging their way to Eastern in the very near future...:mad: before the New Year at least..

I dont know but have heard that eastern are in talks on the IOM re IOM-AMS and IOM-LCY. Is there any truth or is this normal hearsay?

So, can anyone at HUY tell us if T3 plan to start AMS LCY services in January with the slots they got from KLM?

AMS-LCY-IOM-LCY-AMS am. AMS LCY IOM LCY AMS pm. SAAB 2000:cool:

I think if you were to assume an 8 x daily LCY-AMS service, with a Saab 2000 based at each end of the route working against each other, you might be rather closer to the plan. There is no sign of Eastern taking on IOM-LCY. The move onto AMS-LCY looks like a last-ditch effort to irritate someone sufficiently so that they buy Eastern.

Flybe seem hell-bent on crushing Eastern and so the prospect of them buying it is remote. If you look at the most recent set of Eastern accounts, they made a profit of £4m and £2.4m of that was paid out in dividends to the directors. This resulted in Eastern having less cash in the bank at the end of its financial year than before, reducing from £2.6m to £1.4m in the bank. To say that this is extravagant in relation to the size of the company would be an understatement akin to saying that Abraham Lincoln didn't enjoy his trip to the theatre.

AMS-LCY has to be the London City route with the most overcapacity already with both KLM and VLM being recently joined by BA Cityflyer. What would Eastern bring to the table except mounting losses?

Is this supposed new AMS-LCY not a contract for KLM? I seem to remember they were supposed to start INV-AMS for KLM so going in direct competition with them from LCY may not be a clever idea?! :hmm:

Well we all know how quick Eastern are to axe failing routes, so we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out if it's been a success or not.

Its nigh on impossible to get hold of slots at peak times now at LCY, unless like T3 you get hold of someone elses - in this case KLM Cityhopper's.

T3 could only do IOM if they use some of the LCYAMS slots instead, unless they want to flew off peak to IOM, which is not much good for most business pax.

Maybe better slightly off peak LCY IOM than not at all? I'm sure Dickie could do a very friendly deal to provide competition (but not too much) on AMS as part of slot swap and keep competition authority off KLM/VLM/AF.:ooh:

Last year Kaupthing, the Icelandic bank nationalised today, provided finance to Eastern. I dont want to scare-monger but have Eastern still got any exposure to them?
Regional airline gets Birmingham investment - Birmingham Post

its not if I'd borrowed money from the Icelandics I'd worry...it's if I'd lent them mine. :{I'm sure Richard's got his millions safely under an english matress not an icelandic one.;)

It doesn't matter if the finance came from an Icelandic Bank or the Clangers, it's not Eastern's problem.
Just as it wouldn't be if your High Street Bank went under with you owing them money - the debt just gets sold on to whoever takes them over or buys the assets.

Another Sir Dickie admitted this morning that Virgin Airlines had most of their liquid day to day operating cash tied up with HBOS, a sum of over £20m, and that when they tried to move it they found the safe door at HBOS firmly closed.
The bearded one freely admitted that had they not been able to rely on getting cash quickly transferred from his own and "other resources" (I assume within the group), they would have probably had to temporarily cease operating a number of profitable services or even shut down all together.

What you say is essentially correct, although the bank acquiring the debt may well have a different view of 'credit risk' and therefore be less willing to continue to advance funds on the same basis.

This comment is not specific to this airline, but is a general fact in such situations.

I agree with Tonyq, but does anyone know what type of 'financing' Kaupthing S&F provided? Was it a loan, sale and leaseback facility, etc.?

Singer and Friedlander have (or at least used to have before the merger with Kaupthing) a sizeable asset management division. My only real worry would be if Eastern use assets leased from Kaupthing; do Eastern own the SAABs?

waterpau

Anyone know the reason behind Eastern using the Saab from Norwich on all the afternoon flights from Durham Tees to Aberdeen today? KB positioned in from NWI and flew the 586/7/8/9 (66L/67L/68L/69L) before positioning back to NWI this evening! Short of J41 crew :} or big loads :ok: ???

Eastern Airways
 

LCY here we come :ok: The airline the city has been waiting for :)

http://www.oft.gov.uk/advice_and_resources/resource_base/Mergers_home/consultations/air-france