Eastern Airways, located in the United Kingdom, will begin service to Gibraltar from Birmingham and Southampton.
The airline will commence service to Gibraltar from Southampton on 24 May and Birmingham on 28 May, starting twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays. This will be the first regular passenger service from Southampton to Gibraltar, establishing strong nautical, financial, and tourism ties to the British peninsula, while the Midlands is restored following a four-year break following Monarch’s collapse.
The airline’s Embraer 190 e-Jet fleet will fly the routes between Birmingham, Southampton, and Gibraltar, with the type stationed in Southampton for the first time. Flights are now available to purchase at www.easternairways.com, with prices beginning at £74.99 one-way, including taxes and a carry-on bag as usual.
Eastern Airways’ general manager, Roger Hage, stated: “This is a significant addition to our network since it is our first regular scheduled service to the Mediterranean peninsula next to Spain. The additional routes mark our return as an operator to Birmingham Airport while also expanding the number of destinations covered from our Southampton base. Apart from its importance in UK business, particularly financial services and marine, this UK territory provides an interesting short-break location with a diverse range of hotels, beaches, water sports, and heritage. With easy access to Spain’s south coast, collaborating with HM Government of Gibraltar enabled this to be the first service announced, supporting UK regional airports and their role in direct UK-European connectivity.”
The Hon Vijay Daryanani MP, Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport, and the Port of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar, stated, “I recently stated that I would be able to announce the addition of another airline with services to Gibraltar, and it gives me great pleasure to do so today with Eastern Airways.” The connections to Birmingham and Southampton will expand Gibraltar’s catchment region. This Government’s efforts to guarantee that the tourist sector recovers and thrives following the epidemic will continue. Without a doubt, the news will be welcomed by the local business community, as well as the tourist, retail, and hospitality industries. This Government is providing unparalleled air service to Gibraltar and is dedicated to establishing further routes and carriers in the near future.”
“The launch of Eastern Airway’s first-ever route to Gibraltar is great news and reflects the airline’s continuing commitment to growing its operations at Southampton Airport,” said Steve Szalay, operations director at Southampton Airport.
“This is also a new destination for the airport, which is a welcome development considering the continued difficulties our whole sector faces. We look forward to working with Eastern Airways to further expand this service, to welcome the first passengers later this year, and to basing an Eastern Airways Embraer 190 on this and other routes.”
”It is fantastic news that Eastern Airways has returned to Birmingham, providing consumers the opportunity to travel straight to Gibraltar for the first time since 2017,” said Tom Screen, Aviation Director at Birmingham Airport. Gibraltar is a popular leisure destination for our customers looking for a sunny holiday, but it is also a vital commercial gateway into this British territory. We feel this route is a harbinger of things to come as they continue to expand their network.
“Both Birmingham Airport and Eastern Airways have implemented a comprehensive improved cleaning system and can ensure passengers that their safety is a priority.”
Eastern Airways’ flights have been resumed cautiously, in accordance with revisions in Covid-19 regulations, and with significant cleaning procedures in place on-board and throughout the airport to ensure the safety of all passengers.
The independent UK carrier was founded in 1997 and now services hubs in Aberdeen, Anglesey, Belfast-City, Cardiff-Wales, Humberside, Leeds-Bradford, London Heathrow, Manchester, Newquay, Southampton, and Teesside, as well as Birmingham, Dublin, Nantes, Rennes, and recently Gibraltar.
Eastern Airways also has a codeshare agreement with Guernsey’s airline, Aurigny, to optimize passenger connection to the Channel Islands.