Eastern Airways gathers pace as it reveals Leeds Bradford – Newquay, starting next month

Eastern Airways has announced a five-times-weekly service to Newquay from Leeds Bradford. 

The 444-kilometre service, which begins on 9 July, will be operated by the 29-seat Jetstream 41.  It’ll end on 17 September.

It will have no direct or indirect competition.

This announcement follows the carrier’s earlier unveiling of Teesside – Newquay, which starts on 6 July.  The current lack of a Newcastle – Newquay service may push those passengers to Teesside.

Leeds Bradford – Newquay served between 2016 and 2019

flybe last served Newquay from Leeds Bradford last year. 

As in previous years, it operated year-round, typically with a three-weekly service, except from October when it fell to twice-weekly. 

Data by the UK CAA shows that 17,672 passengers flew between the two airports last year, down from 23,034 the previous year.  With 23,192 seats, it had a year-round seat load factor of 76%, rising, as you would expect, to 90% in July and 91% in August.  This is shown in the figure below.

Given flybe had 1,853 passengers in its peak month, August, Eastern Airways’ lower-capacity aircraft would need just 1,096 to achieve a seat load factor of 90%. 

Source: OAG Schedules Analyser and UK CAA.

Leeds Bradford may also appeal to those across Northwest England

Following the end of flybe, Newquay is not connected to Manchester or Liverpool.

Last year, these airports ollectively had 103,000 seats to/from Newquay, up from 47,000 in 2010.

Manchester accounted for almost all of these seats.  This is because it operated a year-round service, including once-daily in winter mainly by the 78-seat Dash-8-400. 

In peak summer, that grew to 13-weekly, primarily by the 88-seat Embraer 175 but also by the E195 and the Dash-8-400.

Given neither airport is currently connected with Newquay, Eastern Airways’ Leeds Bradford service may well appeal to some of these – especially those who would have used Manchester – to avoid a six-hour drive to Cornwall.

Source: OAG Mapper.