Teesside airport will be shut to passengers at weekends in response to new lockdown restrictions.
Eastern Airways’ schedule will be temporarily revised from Monday to run a single daily Monday to Friday flight to and from Aberdeen.
A return service to Belfast City airport will run on Mondays and Fridays to ensure essential workers can still travel for work.
The airport stressed that it remained on course to meet a 10-year turnaround plan despite temporary changes to the flight schedule.
The period of reduced footfall will be used to accelerate terminal building improvements.
Eastern Airways said it will continue to adjust frequencies or flight times across its network “according to demand and any measures advised”.
An announcement of another airline opting to fly from Teesside is expected “very soon,” according to Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen, who pledged to avoid redundancies.
He said: “The situation around this global pandemic is continually changing and we always said we’d follow the guidance and have no hesitation in reducing Teesside airport’s operations once again if it would protect the health and wellbeing of staff and passengers – so that is what we and Eastern Airways have done.
“Back in January, when we announced new routes no one could ever have foreseen what 2020 would have in store but, despite the setbacks, the airport continues to move forward and we are already putting the building blocks in place for a strong 2021.
“We’ve reintroduced a route back to London Heathrow, the biggest airport in the country, we have an ever-growing summer 2021 schedule and we’re even bringing the UK’s biggest holiday firm Tui back to the airport in 2022.”
He added: “I’ve always said that, for our airport to be the success we all want it to be, it has to be about more than just summer holiday flights, as important as these are.
“So since taking back control of our airport and saving it from closure we’ve been diversifying and making the most of all of the opportunities the airport presents, making it a key element in my plan for jobs.
“Of course, we couldn’t have made so much progress without the tireless efforts of our dedicated staff. That’s why I’m making it clear that, as with the first national lockdown, there will be no staff redundancies.
“Those who are furloughed will have their 80% government contribution topped to their usual salary, so they can be safe in the knowledge of a full pay packet in the run-up to Christmas.
“We will also use this period of reduced footfall to continue our improvements in the terminal building – alongside our continued £1 million overhaul of the security area and revamp of the arrivals hall – to make sure our passengers have the best experience possible when we’re back up and running on a full schedule.
“I’m sure under the airport’s previous ownership this pandemic would have simply brought forward its planned closure in 2021 and the only progress being made there now would be converting it into a housing development.
“Instead we’re investing in its future and bringing forward terminal improvements ready for take-off next year.”