Eastern Airways will replace Loganair as the operator of flights between Aberdeen and Teesside it has been announced.
The new daily flights between the Granite City and north-east England will begin on May 20, operating daily weekdays and Sundays before increasing to twice daily from September 9.
Loganair, which brands itself as “Scotland’s Airline”, has been running the route since 2022, but this will cease to exist on May 10, as will the firm’s direct flight between Aberdeen and Newcastle.
Announced last week, the scrapping of the flights is part of Loganair’s plans to protect its “core flying network”, which will also see routes from Inverness, Stornoway, Edinburgh and Glasgow affected.
Eastern Airways operated the route between the two destinations from 2001 until 2022 and its return will be the only one connecting both north-east Scotland and north-east England, as a result of the axing of the Newcastle service.
Located 14 miles west of Middlesbrough, an hour to the south of Newcastle and 48 miles north of York, the airport – previous known as Durham Tees Valley between 2004 and 2019 – has direct flights to Amsterdam and numerous holiday destinations.
Last year, flights between Aberdeen and Teesside attracted 14,293 passengers, which was down 22% on the year before.
Despite this, Eastern Airways – which also flies from the Dyce airport to Humberside and Wick – has confirmed they will offer multi-flight route pass fares offering discounts and free flight changes for regular travellers on the route.
Commenting, Eastern Airways commercial director Roger Hage said: “We have been operating from Teesside on multiple every year since 2001, so returning to the Aberdeen service from May 20 restores familiarity to many faces we have welcomed on-board for many years.
“We more than any operator know the value of connecting the UK’s energy capital Aberdeen to significant employment centres throughout the UK.”
‘Incredibly important’ service
Aero director at AGS Airports – which includes Aberdeen – Chris Tibbett said: “We are delighted to welcome back the Aberdeen to Teesside route with Eastern Airways strengthening the ties between the two regions.
“The reinstatement of the Aberdeen to Teesside route reflects our ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of our passengers and supporting the growth of regional air travel.”
Teesside International Airport manager director Phil Forster added: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Eastern Airways and look forward to working with them on delivering a fantastic service for our passengers.
“We know this service is incredibly important for our passengers and the area’s economy.”
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