Eastern Airways has today confirmed Southampton Airport to Dublin is among seven new routes planned for announcement across the airline’s Southampton and Belfast City airport networks, but has held back while the Covid-19 restrictions peak.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions affecting travel in the UK and Ireland, the airline will confirm its start date in due course along with the additional routes.
The airline will continue with the Monday (23 March 2020) launch of daily services from Southampton to Belfast City, swiftly following new routes it launched last week from the south coast airport to Manchester, Newcastle and Teesside International, complementing its long-standing Leeds Bradford flights. Aberdeen follows on 27 April bringing the Southampton network to seven destinations prior to any new announcements.
Eastern Airways will base up to five aircraft at Southampton as part of its expansion plans replacing UK regional connectivity following the demise of flybe. Having also recently added three aircraft at Teesside Airport with a further route addition to add there this summer, the airline is working very rapidly to ensure major economic centres are connected to protect employment and prosperity.
Roger Hage, Eastern Airways’ General Manager Commercial & 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.”
Neil Garwood Managing Director of Southampton Airport, said: “Whilst we are currently in a very difficult time for aviation and travel, we know that we will return in time to normal service and when we do we are grateful and pleased that our growing partnership with Eastern Airways means we can deliver excellent regional connectivity, so vital to life in the UK.”
As already outlined given the current Covid-19 restrictions, a short-term reduced schedule from 23 March to 17 April 2020 has been implemented by the airline.
