Eastern Airways

[Tinkerman]

Yes it is Jerry.

Good little bit of news though, although using wet leased frames on this route will make it a little more difficult for them to turn a profit on it. But extra capacity nonetheless, and the CRJ's are excellent aircraft to fly on. Should enhance the popularity of the route.

I suppose it is bad news in a way that T3 are struggling crew wise so require these aircraft in the first place.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

A nice upgrade to a jet and a 50 seater! I think the CRJ200 may also be wet leased by BackBone from a Canadian airline called Voyageur Airways. Was this the operator BMI used at BRS last month as cover?

bmir had a Lithuanian ATR42 from DOT LT for a few weeks that seemed to operate the CDG route. Appears to have left BRS in recent days. It came down from Scotland where I think it might have been operating for Loganair (same ownership as bmir of course).

In recent months I recall a Maleth Aero B 737-300 (yes, a 737!), a CityJet Sukhoi Superjet 100 that came on a short contract for about a month and a CityJet ARJ85 that operated on odd occasions.

Can't recall BackBone operating but I don't check every day. Someone else might know for certain.

 

[Tinkerman]

bmir had a Lithuanian ATR42 from DOT LT for a few weeks that seemed to operate the CDG route. Appears to have left BRS in recent days. It came down from Scotland where I think it might have been operating for Loganair (same ownership as bmir of course).

In recent months I recall a Maleth Aero B 737-300 (yes, a 737!), a CityJet Sukhoi Superjet 100 that came on a short contract for about a month and a CityJet ARJ85 that operated on odd occasions.

Can't recall BackBone operating but I don't check every day. Someone else might know for certain.

I think the CRJ200 did op some flights.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Many thanks. I wasn't sure. bmir seems to use so many 'guest' airlines that it's a job to keep up.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

There was an E170 and I think as above a CRJ in recently, but only very short term cover, 1 or 2 days. unlike the ATR.
I wonder if this is solely down to crewing/aircraft availability or if the decision to put the CRJ on the route is to try and boost the numbers to NCL and bring prices down.

 

[Tinkerman]

There was an E170 and I think as above a CRJ in recently, but only very short term cover, 1 or 2 days. unlike the ATR.
I wonder if this is solely down to crewing/aircraft availability or if the decision to put the CRJ on the route is to try and boost the numbers to NCL and bring prices down.

It's obviously in part operational, as they wouldn't lease this otherwise.

However, the good news is that they've decided to put it on CWL-NCL in part which means it must be one of their better routes (which we kind of know already). Guessing this aircraft will be NCL or even ABZ based, not sure how it works precisely, but they could definitely add some more flights to/from NCL and even LBA.

Eastern is a unique product, similar to BMIr in most terms, but there have been rumours on PPRuNe that they don't exactly value their staff/crew as they should.

ADDENDUM: The CRJ200 is a full wet lease to T3 until 14th December. The service then resumes on the J41.

 

[Tinkerman]

So in summary.

Bad news for the airline that they seem to be having crewing issues and having to lease in these aircraft and crews in the firstplace. Good news for the route is that they've chosen to put this aircraft on CWL routes so NCL/ABZ must be the better routes in their overall portfolio - Encouraging.

 

[Jerry]

I'm sure i saw a post somewhere that Eastern were looking at ATR 42s as part of their fleet replacement plans? Considering a lot of their business was oil related they will take some time to adapt as an airline. I also wonder if replacing their Saabs and JSs with one type of aircraft in the long run will help them.

 

[lbaspotter]

Due to a crew shortage Eastern Airways are to use a leased CRJ200 from Backbone Aviation on the Cardiff to Aberdeen via Newcastle routes starting from September 1st running until December.

The aircraft will operate into Cardiff Monday-Friday as follows.

MON, TUE, WED, THU
EZE4641 = NCL 06:45 – CWL 08:00
EZE4032 = CWL 08:25 – NCL 09:50 / NCL 10:15 – ABZ 11:20
EZE4095 = ABZ 16:15 – NCL 17:10 / NCL 17:35 – CWL 19:00
EZE4648 = CWL 19:25 – NCL 20:40

FRI
EZE4035 = ABZ 13:05 – NCL 14:00 / NCL 14:25 – CWL 15:40
EZE4094 = CWL 16:05 – NCL 17:20 / NCL 17:45 – CWL 18:45

 

[Tinkerman]

Due to a crew shortage Eastern Airways are to used a leased CRJ200 from Backbone Aviation on the Cardiff to Aberdeen via Newcastle routes starting from September 1st running until December.

The aircraft will operate into Cardiff Monday-Friday as follows.

MON, TUE, WED, THU
EZE4641 = NCL 06:45 – CWL 08:00
EZE4032 = CWL 08:25 – NCL 09:50 / NCL 10:15 – ABZ 11:20
EZE4095 = ABZ 16:15 – NCL 17:10 / NCL 17:35 – CWL 19:00
EZE4648 = CWL 19:25 – NCL 20:40

FRI
EZE4035 = ABZ 13:05 – NCL 14:00 / NCL 14:25 – CWL 15:40
EZE4094 = CWL 16:05 – NCL 17:20 / NCL 17:45 – CWL 18:45

Thanks for the full schedule.

T3 need to update their fleet sooner rather than later, and learn how to keep their crew and staff.

 

[superking]

The aircraft operates for 6 weeks on the cwl/ncl route,then its off to Austria to be leased by powdair

 

[Tinkerman]

It's actually 1st September - 27th October Superking. You are correct regarding the PowdAir thing though so it would seem.

 

[Jerry]

The aircraft operates for 6 weeks on the cwl/ncl route,then its off to Austria to be leased by powdair

Could be a different aircraft after October?

 

[Jerry]

With the news today that Loganair have launched a MME base with a Saab 340 and are doing ABZ 3 daily and Norwich 4 weekly i'm wondering if their next move might be to base at NCL and go after Easterns routes from there. One of their best performing routes is NCL-CWL so could we see Loganair and Eastern operate NCL-CWL in the future if Loganair continue to park it's tanks on the Eastern lawn!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

With the news today that Loganair have launched a MME base with a Saab 340 and are doing ABZ 3 daily and Norwich 4 weekly i'm wondering if their next move might be to base at NCL and go after Easterns routes from there. One of their best performing routes is NCL-CWL so could we see Loganair and Eastern operate NCL-CWL in the future if Loganair continue to park it's tanks on the Eastern lawn!

The obvious potential snag is that both airlines would be trying to get the lion's share of the passenger numbers and in order to do so might drop fares to a level that make them uneconomic.

 

[Jerry]

The obvious potential snag is that both airlines would be trying to get the lion's share of the passenger numbers and in order to do so might drop fares to a level that make them uneconomic.

I did read elsewhere that Eastern don't need many passengers to make the flight break even with prices they charge, so if they do have competition in the future and the prices come down then that would wreck that.
With the Flybe franchise starting at the end of September it's going to be interesting to see what prices Eastern charge in the future and if they change the service they provide.

 

[Jerry]

While waiting on my KLM flight this morning I watched the Eastern flight to Anglesey board and counted 19 passengers board. So good it's heading up full on a Wednesday morning.

 

[Jerry]

I also noticed that the ground crew loaded 4 large orange bags into the hold. Mail possibly?

 

[Aviador]

I also noticed that the ground crew loaded 4 large orange bags into the hold. Mail possibly?

Sounds like mail.

 

[Tinkerman]

After the Backbone CRJ, T3 are to use a Saab 2000 on CWL-NCL/ABZ for the vast part of October before reverting to the J41 for the foreseeable future.