Eastern Airways, legally incorporated as ''Air Kilroe Limited'', is a British
regional airline
A regional airline is a general classification of airline which typically operates scheduled passenger air service, using regional aircraft, between communities lacking sufficient demand or infrastructure to attract mainline flights. In North ...
whose head office is at
Humberside Airport near the village of
Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. It operates domestic, international and private charter services.
Around 800,000 passengers a year are carried on the scheduled route network.
It has crew bases at
Humberside
Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, We ...
,
Newquay and
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
.
Air Kilroe Limited (trading as Eastern Airways) holds a
United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence. It is permitted to carry passengers, cargo and mail on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
History
Early years
Owned by Bryan Huxford (59%) and Richard Lake (41%),
the airline started operations in December 1997 with a scheduled service between
Humberside
Humberside () was a non-metropolitan and ceremonial county in Northern England from 1 April 1974 until 1 April 1996. It was composed of land from either side of the Humber Estuary, created from portions of the East Riding of Yorkshire, We ...
and
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...
by a leased
Swearingen Metro, following
KLM uk
KLM uk was the brand name of a British airline subsidiary of KLM, which operated services within the UK and between the UK and the Netherlands using ATR-72, Fokker 50 and Fokker 100 aircraft. KLM uk had its headquarters in the Stansted House ...
's withdrawal from the route. In February 1999, it purchased Manchester based Air Kilroe, granting the company an
Air Operator's Certificate
An air operator's certificate (AOC) is the approval granted by a civil aviation authority (CAA) to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets, and system in plac ...
and giving the airline a fleet of two
BAe Jetstream 32 aircraft.
[Goold ''Air International'' January 2009, p. 27]
In 2002, the first
BAe Jetstream 41
The British Aerospace Jetstream 41 is a turboprop-powered feederliner and regional airliner, designed by British Aerospace as a stretched version of the popular Jetstream 31. Intended to compete directly with 30-seat aircraft like the Embraer ...
entered the Eastern fleet,
the aircraft type which now forms the majority of the fleet. Twelve aircraft and their associated routes were transferred from
British Airways CitiExpress on 30 March 2003 giving Eastern a springboard into many regional UK airports which have now become aircraft bases.
In 2003 an
Embraer 145
The Embraer ERJ family (for Embraer Regional Jet, model names EMB-135, EMB-140 and EMB-145) are regional jets designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer. The family includes the ERJ135 (37 passengers), ERJ140 (44 passenger ...
and 135 were wet leased from
City Airline to compete on some longer routes. They were then replaced with
Saab 2000
The Saab 2000 is a twin-engined high-speed turboprop airliner built by Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab. It is designed to carry 50–58 passengers and cruise at a speed of . Production took place in Linköping in southern Sweden. The Sa ...
aircraft.
[Goold ''Air International'' January 2009, p. 28] Since 2003 the company has acquired further Saab 2000 aircraft from Crossair and other European carriers and a number of additional Jetstream 41 aircraft from American regional carriers.
In 2006, Eastern Airways
wet leased
Aircraft leases are leases used by airlines and other aircraft operators. Airlines lease aircraft from other airlines or leasing companies for two main reasons: to operate aircraft without the financial burden of buying them, and to provide tempora ...
a
Dornier 328
The Dornier 328 is a turboprop-powered commuter airliner. Initially produced by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, the firm was acquired in 1996 by Fairchild Aircraft. The resulting firm, named Fairchild-Dornier, manufactured the 328 family in Oberpfaffen ...
from
Cirrus Airlines to operate a Newcastle to London City service which has since been terminated. Eastern Airways also purchased a Jetstream 41 training simulator.
As part of One North East's "Passionate People Passionate Places" campaign for
North East England
North East England is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. The region has three current administrative levels below the region level in the region; combined authority, unitary author ...
, Eastern Airways had a Jetstream 41 painted in promotional colours. It also featured in the 2007
Sunderland International Airshow
The Sunderland International Airshow was the biggest free annual airshow in Europe, held at the Roker and Seaburn seafronts. It takes place over the course of three days, usually the final weekend in July (Friday to Sunday), and attracts around ...
. A Saab 2000 is also painted in a promotional 'Aberdeen City and Shire' colour scheme. The airline closed its base at the
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = " O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europ ...
in August 2009, discontinuing routes to Birmingham and Newcastle from the airport.
Developments since 2010
In July 2010, the airline took delivery of an
Embraer 135
The Embraer ERJ family (for Embraer Regional Jet, model names EMB-135, EMB-140 and EMB-145) are regional jets designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer. The family includes the ERJ135 (37 passengers), ERJ140 (44 passenger ...
with 37 seats and signed a lease on a second, thus adding jet aircraft to their fleet for the first time since the acquisition to replace their previously operated
Embraer ERJ
The Embraer ERJ family (for Embraer Regional Jet, model names EMB-135, EMB-140 and EMB-145) are regional jets designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer. The family includes the ERJ135 (37 passengers), ERJ140 (44 passenge ...
aircraft. They will be used mainly on charter services to central and Eastern Europe; however, they will also offer increased flexibility on the airline's scheduled services.
[http://www.easternairways.com/latest-news/jet-aircraft-added-to-eastern-airways-flee.html] Also in July 2010 the airline named one of their
Jetstream 41
The British Aerospace Jetstream 41 is a turboprop-powered feederliner and regional airliner, designed by British Aerospace as a stretched version of the popular Jetstream 31. Intended to compete directly with 30-seat aircraft like the Embrae ...
aircraft after the comedian
Ken Dodd
Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd (8 November 1927 – 11 March 2018) was an English comedian, singer and occasional actor. He was described as "the last great music hall entertainer", and was primarily known for his live stand-up performances.
A lifel ...
in celebration of the year anniversary of the start of scheduled services from
Liverpool
Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
and Dodd's support shown in the region. In September 2010, it was announced that Eastern Airways had bought
Air Southwest
Air Southwest was a British airline founded by Sutton Harbour Holdings in 2003. Ownership was transferred to Eastern Airways in September 2010 but operations ceased 12 months later. It operated regional scheduled passenger services in South W ...
. However, Air Southwest ceased operations from
Plymouth
Plymouth () is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to ...
on 14 September 2011 and all remaining services from
Newquay ceased on 30 September 2011.
In August 2012, Eastern Group purchased the 82%
Manchester Airports Group
Manchester Airport Holdings Limited, trading as MAG (originally Manchester Airports Group) is a holding company which is owned by the ten metropolitan borough councils of Greater Manchester, in North West England, and Australian investment fu ...
stake in Humberside Airport. In February 2014 the
Bristow Group
Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group (, S&P 600 component) which in turn has its corporate headquarters in ...
, a major
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...
operator serving the offshore oil and gas industry acquired a 60% interest in Eastern Airways
and in 2018 acquired the remaining 40%. The airline continued to operate under the Eastern Airways brand. Bristow also acquired a controlling interest in the Australian airline
Airnorth, another regional airline which operates fixed wing regional jet and turboprop aircraft.
It was announced on 21 September 2017 that Eastern Airways would enter a franchise with
Flybe
Flybe (pronounced ), styled as flybe, is a British airline based at Birmingham Airport, England.
History
The airline traces its history back to Jersey European Airways, which was set up in 1979 following the merger of Intra Airways and Expre ...
, starting on 29 October 2017. The franchise saw all flights operated by Eastern Airways carry BE (Flybe) flight numbers. Also in September 2017, Eastern received its first of two new
ATR 72-600
The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR (french: Avions de transport régional or it, Aerei da Trasporto Regionale), a joint venture formed ...
. The aircraft previously operated on the Aberdeen - Scatsta route on behalf of
Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group (, S&P 600 component) which in turn has its corporate headquarters in ...
for the majority of the time. With the Bristow Group in financial difficulties, it sold the Eastern Airlines group of companies back to one of its founders, Richard Lake, in May 2019.
On 5 March 2020, Flybe was placed into administration. All flights operated by Flybe and
Stobart Air were cancelled, but those operated on a franchise basis by Eastern Airways and
Blue Islands continued. Eastern Airways announced that it would resume independent operation of its existing routes, along with three additional routes formerly operated by
Flybe
Flybe (pronounced ), styled as flybe, is a British airline based at Birmingham Airport, England.
History
The airline traces its history back to Jersey European Airways, which was set up in 1979 following the merger of Intra Airways and Expre ...
.
Corporate affairs
Headquarters
The head office is located at Schiphol House, on the property of
Humberside Airport, in
Kirmington,
North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority area in Lincolnshire, England, with a population of 167,446 in the 2011 census. The borough includes the towns of Scunthorpe, Brigg, Haxey, Crowle, Epworth, Bottesford, Kirton in Lindsey and Bar ...
.
Awards
*
European Regions Airline Association ''Airline of the Year'' Silver Award 2003/04 and 2004/05
* European Regions Airline Association ''Airline of the Year'' Gold Award 2006/07
* Baltic Air Charter Association ''Best Passenger Charter Airline'' 2011
* European Regions Airline Association ''Airline of the Year'' Gold Award 2014
Destinations
Since 2008, Eastern Airways has been providing fixed wing services to and from
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...
and
Scatsta
Scatsta Airport , was a commercial airport on the island of Mainland, Shetland in Scotland located north of Lerwick and southwest of Sullom Voe Terminal.
It is owned by Shetland Island's Council and was operated by Serco on behalf of the ae ...
in Shetland. The flights are used to transport oil workers employed by the companies that make up the IAC consortium. Eastern Airways supply fixed wing operations on behalf of
Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group (, S&P 600 component) which in turn has its corporate headquarters in ...
.
Bristow Helicopters
Bristow Helicopters Limited is a British civil helicopter operator originally based at Aberdeen Airport, Scotland, which is currently a part of the U.S.-based Bristow Group (, S&P 600 component) which in turn has its corporate headquarters in ...
are responsible for providing all air transportation and ground handling services. In 2010, the contract with Bristow was extended to 2015. The contract has since ended, however, Eastern will continue to provide fixed wing services to
Sumburgh instead.
Codeshare agreements
Eastern Airways has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:
*
Aurigny
Aurigny Air Services Limited (pronounced ), commonly known as Aurigny, is the flag carrier airline of the Bailiwick of Guernsey with its head office next to Guernsey Airport in the Channel Islands, and wholly owned by the States of Guernsey ...
Fleet
Current fleet
Former fleet
Eastern Airways formerly operated the following aircraft:
*
British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 (Super 31 version)
*
British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 32
*
de Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8
The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was later bought by Boeing in 1988, then by Bombardier in 1992; then by ...
*
Dornier 328
The Dornier 328 is a turboprop-powered commuter airliner. Initially produced by Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, the firm was acquired in 1996 by Fairchild Aircraft. The resulting firm, named Fairchild-Dornier, manufactured the 328 family in Oberpfaffen ...
*
Embraer 135
The Embraer ERJ family (for Embraer Regional Jet, model names EMB-135, EMB-140 and EMB-145) are regional jets designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer. The family includes the ERJ135 (37 passengers), ERJ140 (44 passenger ...
*
Embraer 145
The Embraer ERJ family (for Embraer Regional Jet, model names EMB-135, EMB-140 and EMB-145) are regional jets designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace company Embraer. The family includes the ERJ135 (37 passengers), ERJ140 (44 passenger ...
*
Embraer 170
*
Saab 2000
The Saab 2000 is a twin-engined high-speed turboprop airliner built by Swedish aircraft manufacturer Saab. It is designed to carry 50–58 passengers and cruise at a speed of . Production took place in Linköping in southern Sweden. The Sa ...
*
Short 330
The Short 330 (also SD3-30) is a small turboprop transport aircraft produced by Short Brothers. It seats up to 30 people and was relatively inexpensive and had low maintenance costs at the time of its introduction in 1976. The 330 was based on ...
Notes
References
*
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Airlines of the United Kingdom
European Regions Airline Association
Airlines established in 1997
1997 establishments in England
Companies based in the Borough of North Lincolnshire
Bristow Helicopters
British companies established in 1997