Eastern Air Lines (2015)

Last updated
Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc.
Eastern Airlines logo.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
EAEALEASTERN
FoundedMay 28, 2015;
9 years ago
 (2015-05-28) [1]
Ceased operationsSeptember 7, 2017;
7 years ago
 (2017-09-07)
AOC # 29EA847N
Hubs Miami International Airport
Frequent-flyer program LatinOnePass
Fleet size6
Destinations14
Headquarters Miami-Dade County, Florida
Key peopleCEO: James Tolzien. President: Vincent Viola.
Website easternairlines.aero (2016 archive)

Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc. [2] was an American low-cost airline [3] based in Miami, Florida, founded in 2015. It operated charter flights between Miami and destinations in the United States, Caribbean and Latin America. [4]

Contents

In 2017, Swift Air acquired the Boeing 737-800 assets of Eastern Air Lines stating, "Eastern Air Lines’ name, assets, and associated trademarks will be retained within the transaction." [2]

History

An Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737-800 taxiing at JFK Airport in 2015 Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737-8AL N276EA (The Spirit of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker).jpg
An Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737-800 taxiing at JFK Airport in 2015

The ownership group, Eastern Air Lines Group, purchased the intellectual property, including trademarks, of the original Eastern Air Lines in 2009, and announced in early 2014 that it had filed an application with the United States Department of Transportation for a certificate of public convenience and necessity, which would be followed by certification with the Federal Aviation Administration. On May 28, 2015, Eastern launched charter flights with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft from Miami International Airport (MIA) to José Martí International Airport in Havana and back to MIA. [5] Two days later, the airline flew as part of Honor Flight, flying 60 veterans to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside of Washington, D.C. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Scheduled service was planned to follow 12 to 18 months later. [11] [12] [13] However, the necessary FAA certification was not given.[ citation needed ]

On September 9, 2015, an Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737-800 came to the aid of stranded cruise ship passengers at St. Thomas. [14]

On June 5, 2016, Eastern Air Lines flew the body of Muhammad Ali from Phoenix, Arizona to Louisville, Kentucky on one of its 737s. [15]

Eastern Air Lines signed a three-year agreement in August 2015 to become the “Official Airline” for University of Miami Athletics. [16] Eastern operated charter flights for some professional sports teams (Florida Panthers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, Oakland A's, Portland Timbers) [17] and other colleges (Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University). [18] It operated a scheduled charter operation to Cuba serving six cities. Eastern also operated charters to the Caribbean and Latin America (Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, Guyana, Haiti). [19]

The new Eastern Air Lines operated from Building 5A at Miami International Airport. The building used to house the system and maintenance control centers of the original airline. [13]

Swift Air stated in regards to the acquisition of the new Eastern Air Lines, "The transaction is not a purchase of one certificate or merger of two certificates." [2]

Eastern Air Lines conducted its last flight September 2017.[ citation needed ] Swift completed its asset purchase and all remaining Eastern aircraft were transferred to the Swift certificate. In September 2017 Eastern surrendered its certificate to the FAA.[ citation needed ] The Eastern name will be transferred to Dynamic International Airways, an airline co-owned by Swift ownership and now operating as Eastern Airlines, LLC. [2]

The airline ceased operations on September 7, 2017.

Destinations

Eastern Air Lines operated charter flights in the U.S. and also between Miami and Cuba, in a partnership with Havana Air. Other destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America were planned, pending contract signing. [13]

Frequent-flyer program

The airline announced that its frequent-flyer program would be called LatinOnePass, [20] partially taking the name "OnePass" of the former Eastern Air Lines' program (which was then sold to Continental).

Fleet

The Eastern Air Lines fleet was composed of the following aircraft (as of August 2017): [21]

AircraftIn
service
OrdersPassengersNotes
CYTotal
Boeing 737-700 16464
Boeing 737-800 512150162
Boeing 737 MAX 8 10 [22] TBAPlanned to be delivered from 2018.
Mitsubishi MRJ90 20TBAPlanned to be delivered from 2019.
Total630

The Eastern Air Lines Group placed orders for ten Boeing 737-800s, with the rights to purchase an additional ten Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The company announced in July 2014 that it had placed an order for 20 Mitsubishi MRJ90s, with rights to an additional 20 of the regional jet. [23] [24] The first used Boeing 737-800 was delivered in December 2014. [13] It is named the Spirit of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker , after the early leader of the original Eastern Air Lines. [25] On February 6, 2016, Eastern took delivery of its fifth aircraft, a used Boeing 737-800. This completed its first phase of aircraft acquisition. [26]

Configuration plans called for 12 business class and 150 economy class seats in the Boeing aircraft, with room for 90 passengers in the Mitsubishi aircraft. [13]

Accidents and incidents

See also

Related Research Articles

Eastern Air Lines was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Roberts International Airport</span> Airport in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Owen Roberts International Airport is an airport serving Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. It is the main international airport for the Cayman Islands as well as the main base for Cayman Airways. The airport is named after British Royal Air Force (RAF) Wing Commander Owen Roberts, a pioneer of commercial aviation in the country, and is one of the two entrance ports to the Cayman Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key West International Airport</span> International airport in Key West, Florida

Key West International Airport is an international airport located in the City of Key West in Monroe County, Florida, United States, 2 miles east of the main commercial center of Key West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Orlando International Airport</span> Airport in Florida, United States

Melbourne Orlando International Airport is a public airport 1.5 miles (2.4 km) northwest of downtown Melbourne, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, and 70 miles (113 km) southeast of Orlando, located on central Florida's Space Coast. The airport is reached by NASA Boulevard. It is governed by a seven-member board which is appointed by the Melbourne City Council and the private sector. The airport budget is part of the Melbourne municipal budget; the airport receives no local tax dollars. The projected expenses for 2010 were $14.1 million. The executive director of the airport is Greg Donovan, A.A.E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Air International</span>

Miami Air International was an American charter airline based in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It operated worldwide passenger charter flights for diverse groups including cruise operators, professional sports teams and the United States military. It was based at Miami International Airport. Miami Air's customers included incentive groups, sports teams, Fortune 500 companies, major cruise lines, entertainers, political candidates and the United States government. Under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, Miami Air was contracted by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command for transporting troops and cargo.

PT Lion Mentari Airlines, operating as Lion Air, is an Indonesian low-cost airline based in Jakarta. Lion Air is the country's largest privately run airline, the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia and the largest airline in Indonesia. With Wings Air, Super Air Jet and Batik Air, Lion Group is the country's largest airline's group. The airline operates domestic as well as international routes, which connects different destinations of Indonesia to Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, India, Japan and Saudi Arabia, as well as charter routes to mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Macau, with more than 630 flights per day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far Eastern Air Transport</span> Defunct airline of Taiwan (1957–2008; 2011–2019)

FAT Taiwan Inc., doing business as Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT), was an airline with its head office in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nolinor Aviation</span> Charter airline of Canada

Les Investissements Nolinor Inc., trading as Nolinor Aviation, is a charter airline based in Mirabel, a suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It operates passenger charter and cargo services within Canada and to the United States. Its main base is Montréal–Mirabel International Airport. It has 200 employees.

Pegasus Airlines, sometimes stylized as Flypgs, is a Turkish low-cost carrier headquartered in the Kurtköy area of Pendik, Turkey with bases at several Turkish airports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationwide Airlines (South Africa)</span> South African airline

Nationwide Airlines was an airline based in Lanseria, South Africa. It operated scheduled domestic and international services. Its main base was OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg. On 29 April 2008, the airline ended operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TUI fly Nordic</span> Charter airline of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland

TUI fly Nordic is a charter airline headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and is a part of the TUI Group. It operates short, medium and long-haul flights to leisure destinations from several airports in the Nordic countries, on behalf of the tour operators TUI Danmark (Denmark), TUI Suomi (Finland), TUI Norge (Norway) and TUI Sverige (Sweden). In 2016, the airline carried approximately 1,500,000 passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona Beach International Airport</span> Airport within Daytona Beach city limits

Daytona Beach International Airport is a county-owned airport located three miles (5 km) southwest of Daytona Beach, next to Daytona International Speedway, in Volusia County, Florida, United States. The airport has 3 runways, a six-gate domestic terminal, and an international terminal. Daytona Beach is the headquarters of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TUI fly Belgium</span> Charter airline of Belgium

TUI fly Belgium, legally incorporated as TUI Airlines Belgium nv and formerly branded Jetairfly, is a Belgian scheduled and charter airline with its registered office at Brussels Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Air Cargo</span> Airline of the United States

Northern Air Cargo, LLC (NAC) is an American cargo airline based in Anchorage, Alaska, United States. NAC operates a small fleet of Boeing 737-300, Boeing 737-400 and Boeing 737-800 freighter aircraft within the state of Alaska as well as widebody Boeing 767-300 freighter services throughout the Caribbean and South America. Other services include aircraft maintenance services through its subsidiary, Northern Air Maintenance Services, on demand charters and consolidation of cargo. With a main base at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, NAC also operates out of a hub at Miami International Airport. NAC is a division of Saltchuk which is the corporate parent of a number of transportation and distribution companies including Aloha Air Cargo, a cargo airline based in Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocala International Airport</span> Airport in Florida, U.S.

Ocala International Airport is five miles west of Ocala, in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is also known as Ocala International Airport-Jim Taylor Field and was previously Ocala Regional Airport or Jim Taylor Field. Despite its name, commercial airlines do not fly to Ocala International Airport.

iAero Airways Defunct charter airline of the United States (1997–2024)

iAero Airways, previously named Swift Air, was an American charter airline based in Greensboro, North Carolina with its main hub at Miami International Airport. The airline announced that it would cease all operations on April 6, 2024, after failed restructuring efforts during bankruptcy proceedings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TUI Airways</span> Charter airline of the United Kingdom

TUI Airways Limited is the British arm of the TUI Airline group, which is owned and operated by the TUI Group. They offer scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom and Ireland to destinations in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.

Eastern Airlines, LLC is an American airline founded in 2010. It began as Dynamic Airways and later added "International" to its name to reflect its transition from a charter airline into scheduled international services. Under the Dynamic name, the airline was headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, offering service from New York to South America. It used to operate from Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York to the Caribbean, Cancún, and South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrono Aviation</span> Canadian charter airline

Chrono Aviation Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary Chrono Jet Inc., is a charter airline headquartered at Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport. It operates aircraft in passenger, cargo and combi roles. It has bases at MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport, Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport and Rimouski Aerodrome. It has over 265 employees. As of 18 October 2024, it was announced that Chrono Group, the owners of Chrono Aviation, had been placed in receivership. This was ordered by the Superior Court of Quebec under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act as Chrono was unable to pay their creditors.

References

  1. "Eastern Air Lines to Inaugurate Flying Next Week". Airchive. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Perrella, Enrique (August 23, 2019). "Eastern Airlines Comes Back: New Logo, JFK Hub, Triple Sevens". Airways Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. "IAero Airways".
  4. "Eastern Air Lines Returns Home to Miami". Airchive. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  5. Sampson, Hannah (28 May 2015). "Eastern Air Lines takes off from Miami again with first revenue flight". miamiherald.com. The Miami Herald. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  6. "@FlyEastern at @Reagan_Airport!". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  7. "#Veterans taking their #HonorFlight on board an @flyeastern #737. Approaching @Reagan_Airport. @honorflightSFLA". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  8. "It's been far too long since a @FlyEastern aircraft has landed @Reagan_Airport. And an Honor Flight at that! #avgeek". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  9. "Welcome back to @Reagan_Airport @FlyEastern! 24 years in the making and proud it was for an #HonorFlight!". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  10. "Welcome to @Reagan_Airport, @FlyEastern". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  11. Sampson, Hannah (29 January 2014). "Group plans to bring Eastern Air Lines back to Miami". Miami Herald . Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  12. "Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc. files with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation as the first step in launching the new Eastern Air Lines" (Press release). Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc. 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Linares, Luis (22 December 2014). "Eastern Air Lines Is Back After Being Gone For Over 20 Years". Business Insider . Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  14. "Eastern Airlines Charter Picks up Carnival Passengers". 10 September 2015.
  15. TEGNA. "Muhammad Ali's body returns to Louisville ahead of memorial".
  16. "Eastern Named UM Athletics' Official Airline".
  17. "Tweets with replies by Eastern Air Lines (@FlyEastern) - Twitter".
  18. "Tweets with replies by Eastern Air Lines (@FlyEastern) - Twitter".
  19. "Tweets with replies by Eastern Air Lines (@FlyEastern) - Twitter".
  20. MacLennan, Alexander (23 August 2014). "America's Newest Airline Is a Very Old One". The Motley Fool . Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  21. "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2016): 38.
  22. "Eastern Air Lines". atwonline.
  23. Brown, David Parker (22 July 2014). "Catching Up with the New Eastern Air Lines". Airline Reporter. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  24. "Eastern Confirms MRJ Order". Aviation Week & Space Technology . 6 October 2014. p. 13. ... Eastern Air Lines ... has confirmed its order for 20 Mitsubishi Aircraft 92-seat MRJ90 regional jets. Deliveries were due to begin in 2019 ...
  25. @FlyEastern [Eastern Air Lines Group] (23 August 2014). "We have leased our first Boeing 737-800, N276EA, to be delivered to Miami early December 2014...'The Spirit of Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker'". Tweet Number 503330218204229632. Retrieved 25 August 2014 via Twitter.
  26. "Eastern Air Lines @FlyEastern Feb 6th". Twitter. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  27. "Mike Pence's Plane Skids Off Runway at LaGuardia Airport, Prompting Runway Closures". ABC News. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  28. Hradecky, Simon (28 October 2016). "Accident: Eastern Air Lines B737 at New York on Oct 27th 2016, overran runway on landing long". The Aviation Herald.
  29. "National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Incident Final Report". National Transportation Safety Board. 2017-09-22. DCA17IA020. Retrieved 2021-04-01.