Regional carrier Eastern Airways has announced it will hold
off launching planned routes at Southampton and Belfast due to the Covid-19
outbreak.
The airline confirmed the new Southampton to Dublin route is
among seven launches that will be postponed as the coronavirus pandemic
continues to cause weakening customer demand. New start dates will be announced
later in the year.
Roger Hage, Eastern Airways’ general manager commercial and
operations, said: “Given the current Covid-19 reductions in travel, we have
held back from announcing a number of route start dates at both Southampton and
Belfast City as determining these dates isn’t feasible in the immediacy.
“We can confirm Southampton-Dublin is among seven routes we
have held off announcing, but once there is a clear view when services will
return to normal, we will confirm all routes and start dates to help ensure
regional connectivity around the UK is expanded, especially given this will be
paramount to the UK’s economic recovery.”
However, Eastern Airways will go ahead with the launch of daily
services between Southampton and Belfast City on 23 March following last week’s
start of flights from the south coast airport to Manchester, Newcastle and
Teesside. Aberdeen is still due to follow on 27 April.
The carrier is preparing to base up to five aircraft at
Southampton as part of its expansion plans to replace regional UK flights
formerly operated by Flybe, which collapsed last month. It has also added three
planes at Teesside.
Eastern Airways is operating a reduced schedule between 23
March and 17 April.