Executives at Humberside Airport have assured that the airport will continue to function despite difficulties faced by Eastern Airways. The airline suspended all flights nationwide yesterday, amid a filed administration note.
The º£½ÇÊÓƵ Civil Aviation Authority has advised customers of the airline, which operated flights to and from several other º£½ÇÊÓƵ airports, not to travel to the airport as flights will not be in operation. High court filings show that lawyers have submitted a notice of intention to appoint administrators, a step towards formal insolvency proceedings.
Eastern Airways was established in the mid-1990s, connecting its base at Humberside Airport with Aberdeen and serving oil and gas companies who were transporting teams and executives between the two crucial industry locations. Until 2019, the airline was owned by Bristow, the owner of Humberside Airport, before it was sold to Orient Industrial Holdings Ltd in a confidential deal.
Accounts for Orient - a group that also encompasses the subsidiaries that makeup Eastern Airways, among other firms - indicate operating losses of £3.3m in the year ending March last year. This was against a turnover of over £65m.
Separate accounts for Eastern Airways (º£½ÇÊÓƵ) Limited - one of several companies in the group - show a turnover of £38m and an operating profit of more than £368,000, reports .
Beyond Eastern's daily Aberdeen services, Humberside Airport operates daily KLM flights to Amsterdam, alongside seasonal holiday routes to Majorca and Lapland provided by tour operators such as First Choice, Tui, Transun and Newmarket.
In response to Eastern's flight suspension, several rail operators including London and North Eastern Railway, ScotRail, Transpennine Express and Northern have made free standard class travel available to Eastern Airways staff and customers on 28 and 29 October, on appropriate routes operated by each train company, according to the º£½ÇÊÓƵ Civil Aviation Authority.
Selina Chadha, consumer and markets director at the Authority, said: "We urge passengers planning to fly with this airline not to go to the airport as all Eastern Airways flights are cancelled. Eastern Airways customers should visit the Civil Aviation Authority's website for the latest information."
Clive Wratten, chief executive of the Business Travel Association - an industry membership organisation - predicted a "major effect" on business and leisure travel across the º£½ÇÊÓƵ, particularly on routes linking the North East with Aberdeen, and Gatwick with Newquay.
He said: "First and foremost, our thoughts are with the Eastern Airways employees and all those affected by this sudden suspension of operations. Their contribution to keeping the º£½ÇÊÓƵ connected across regional and specialist routes has been hugely valued by the business travel community.
"This suspension of operations underscores the urgent need for regional investment for travel infrastructure. With already limited domestic air connectivity, the loss of Eastern Airways further isolates key parts of the º£½ÇÊÓƵ and limits choice for travellers.
"Strengthening our rail network has never been more important, alongside Public Service Obligations routes such as those linking London and Newquay. These connections are essential to maintaining mobility, productivity, and opportunity across the country."
