News

Coronavirus: Eastern Airways rejigs key workers air link

Eastern Airways is altering timings of a temporary schedule on the Humberside airport-Aberdeen route.

The regional carrier cut frequency from three flights a day to a daily weekday service last week due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

But flight departures are being changed in an effort to help key workers and energy sector personnel.

Daily flights will depart Humberside at 1.15pm from April 6 to allow for a later northbound timing for those heading offshore early the next morning.

Departures from Aberdeen will leave later at 3.35pm, arriving into Humberside at 5pm.

The Humberside airport-based carrier was expanding its UK and Ireland network until the travel restrictions were imposed, having introduced six new services in the last month including former Flybe routes from Southampton to Manchester, Belfast City and Newcastle.

New services also started from Teesside airport to Belfast City, Dublin and Southampton.

Southampton-Dublin is one of seven other new routes the airline has held off announcing.

But once there is a clear view when services will return to normal, Eastern said it will confirm all routes and start dates.

Commercial and operations general manager Roger Hage said: “Following invaluable feedback from our many regular customers in the energy sector who rely on the speed and convenience of the service, while offering only a single flight each way per day, it is important the time of the flight meets most needs.

“The early afternoon northbound flight gets all in position for next day offshore services and avoids over seven hours on a train or longer drive, while southbound later afternoon serves most arriving back into Aberdeen from Shetland or northern and central North Sea to get home by late afternoon.

“We want to maximise assistance to those key-workers in this vital sector.”

Share article

View Comments

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.