ALL flights bound for a quaint UK seaside town have been axed after a domestic airline filed for administration.
Eastern Airways, that serves different destinations in England and Scotland, has filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator as it stares down crippling debts of over £25million.
The news means that the carrier will no longer be flying to Wick, a popular Scottish coastal town.
Eastern Airways launched flights to the town’s airport with flights to Aberdeen in April 2022, after pausing during Covid.
But Wick John O’Groats Airport will receive its final flight on Sunday.
That means that from next week, the airport will no longer have any commercial flights.
The local Highland Council is calling for a subsidized flight routes to continue to Wick from Aberdeen.
A spokesperson called the cancellation of Eastern Airways “deeply disappointing,” adding: “This makes the case not only for the continuation of the PSO air services to Wick but for the expansion of provision.”
Local businesses are set to be hit by the airline’s financial woes.
It comes after Wick High Street was given a £2millon boost to upgrade the main high street.
Eastern Airways launched back in 1997 and carries around 1.3million passengers each year.
The airline plays a key role in providing regional air travel across the UK, with current destinations including Wick and Aberdeen in Scotland, and then Humberside, Teeside International, London Gatwick and Newquay.
However, the airline has previously operated many other routes including to Gibraltar from Southampton and Birmingham.
Services to Gibraltar were launched back in 2021 but then axed just a year later.
And in March last year, the operator also cancelled its route between Cardiff to Paris Orly, France.
Only this year, did the airline also announce that it would be launching flights from Newquay in Cornwall, to London Southend Airport in Essex.
Currently, this route cannot be seen on the airline’s website.
Eastern Airways is also the number one provider of charter flights for sports teams in Europe – this includes Premier League and Championship football teams, Rugby Union teams and Super League teams.
For the 12 months to March 2024, Eastern Airways reported a net loss of £19.7million — £4.8million higher than the previous year.
The company’s total debt rose by £4.8million to £25.97million, while profit fell sharply to £454,000 from £1.55million the year before.
It isn’t the only airline that recently went bust this year.
Last month, Play Airlines announced that it would be ceasing operations with all flights being cancelled.
Play Airlines flew to a number of different European destinations likes London Stansted, Amsterdam, Paris and Faro.
And last year, Spirit Airlines – a US low-cost carrier – also filed for bankruptcy.
Monarch Airlines ceased operations in 2017, which at the time was the UK’s largest ever to collapse.
Thomas Cook then shut down in 2019 – although the airline has since relaunched.
What to do if you have an upcoming flight with Eastern Airways
LISA Minot, Head of Travel at The Sun, shares her advice…
Passengers stranded by the collapse of Eastern Airways have several options depending on their circumstances.
If you need to still fly, you’ll need to find – and pay – for an alternative flight with another airline.
Many airlines offer rescue fares when competitors go bust, offering lower prices for those who can prove they were due to fly with the airline that has failed.
Or if you can get the train, London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), ScotRail, TransPennine Express (TPE), and Northern Railway are offering free Standard Class travel to Eastern Airways staff and customers on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 October, on suitable routes operated by each train company.
For those without scheduled airline failure insurance, you will sadly be left out of pocket.
If you are due to fly with Eastern Airways in the coming days, weeks or months, you should put a claim in straight away with your debit or credit card provider.
They should refund you without fuss.
For those who are due to fly with Eastern Airways as part of a package holiday they have bought from a travel agent or tour operator, your package holiday provider is obliged to find an alternative way for you to reach your destination or offer you a full refund.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has the latest information on its website, caa.co.uk