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Eastern Air Express (formerly Hillwood Airways and ATX Air Services) is an American charter airline headquartered in
The airline was initially founded in 2013 as ''ATX Air Services'' and operated under a
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
. It was formerly a subsidiary of The Perot Group, which is controlled by Ross Perot, Jr.
History
The airline was initially founded in 2013 as ''ATX Air Services'' and operated under a Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates civil aviation in t ...
(FAA) Part 125 certificate, limiting the airline to only flying under long-term agreements with a few clients.
ATX Air Services rebranded as ''Hillwood Airways'' in 2016, received its FAA Part 121 Air Carrier Certification on July 24, 2017, and subsequently started charter operations.
The airline commenced operations with a single Boeing 737-700C BBJ and currently offers it for charter in four configurations: 36 first-class seats with two conference tables, 60 first-class seats, 90 premium economy seats or as a full freighter. It is one of only a few Boeing 737 BBJs fitted with a full-size main-deck cargo door.
Between 2019 and 2021 the airline took delivery of three regular Boeing 737-700
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as 737NG, or 737 Next Gen, is a twin-engine narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Launched in 1993 as the third-generation derivative of the Boeing 737, it has been pr ...
s that were originally delivered to Airtran Airways
AirTran Airways was a low-cost airline in the United States that operated from 1993 until it was acquired by Southwest Airlines May 2, 2011.
Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, AirTran Airways was established in 1993 as Conquest Sun Airlines b ...
and ConocoPhillips Alaska. The three regulars 737-700s are available for charter in all-passenger configurations ranging from 60 first class to 100 premium economy seats.
One of the airline's Boeing 737-700s was involved in the 2021 Kabul airlift.
In May 2023, Eastern Air Holdings, owner of Eastern Airlines
Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...
, announced its plans to acquire Hillwood Airways. The airline was officially purchased on August 15, 2023, and continues to operate under its existing brand. The company announced on November 13, 2023, its rebrand as ''Eastern Air Express''.
In February 2024, Eastern Air Holdings selected Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
as its new headquarters.
In April 2024, Eastern Air Holdings acquired the aircraft and other assets of iAero Airways
iAero Airways, previously named ''Swift Air'', was an American charter airline based in Greensboro, North Carolina with its main hub at Miami International Airport.Flight International 12–18 April 2005 The airline announced that it would ceas ...
.
As of at least February 2025, Eastern Air Express has been contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the Un ...
(ICE) to operate deportation flights of undocumented immigrants.
Fleet
Current
The Eastern Air Express fleet includes the following aircraft (as of May 2025):Former
Eastern Air Express formerly operated the following aircraft:See also
*List of airlines of the United States
This is a list of airlines that have an air operator's certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States.
Note: Destinations in bold indicate primary hubs, those in ''italic'' indicate secondary hubs, and those with ...
References
{{Airlines of the United States Airlines established in 2013 Airlines based in Texas Charter airlines of the United States