'A shame': Airline scraps route from northern England to Danish city Esbjerg
A flight route between Humberside Airport in the north of England and West Jutland city Esbjerg has been cancelled, less than eight months after its launch.
The route, operated by Eastern Airways, opened in December last year and initially offered three departures weekly between the two smaller-sized airports.
Taking a little under two hours, the flight took place on board a BAe (British Aerospace) Jetstream 41 (J41) aircraft with 29 seats. It was intended to appeal to engineers, technicians and other workers for quick and direct travel between the Humberside and Esbjerg regions, which are key offshore wind hubs in the UK and Denmark respectively.
It also offered a convenient alternative for passengers with personal connections in both areas.
But Eastern Airways has decided to close the service inside its first year of operation, citing lack of demand related to the offshore construction sector, the company confirmed to The Local.
“In essence we have suspended the Humberside-Esbjerg service given the current low demand related to the decline in offshore renewable construction phases of activity, so the specific demand for Esbjerg falls with that,” a spokesperson from the airline said via email.
“In the short term, this was also accelerated as a decision with the sharp increase in ground handling charges related to the sole supplier at Humberside Airport increasing their rates by over 40 percent at short notice, driven by a lack of sufficient other activity at the airport,” they added.
One of the airline’s passengers on the now-discontinued route said using it had been “probably the smoothest experience we've ever had flying from one country to another”.
“It's such a shame this hasn't worked out for Eastern Airways, but it was nice while it lasted,” said Robin Cantrill-Fenwick, who took the Humberside-Esbjerg flight in April.
Cantrill-Fenwick praised the service at the airport and the convenience of the link between the two locations.
“It was great to have a direct link from the Northeast of England to Denmark, and it encouraged us to explore Jutland. Flying out of Manchester Airport is a hellscape by comparison," he said.
Eastern Airways’ spokesperson did not rule out a future return of the service in some form.
“We will continue the dialogue with all key stakeholders involved, so as any new construction or development phases materialise, the right shaped service and frequency returns,” they said.
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The route, operated by Eastern Airways, opened in December last year and initially offered three departures weekly between the two smaller-sized airports.
Taking a little under two hours, the flight took place on board a BAe (British Aerospace) Jetstream 41 (J41) aircraft with 29 seats. It was intended to appeal to engineers, technicians and other workers for quick and direct travel between the Humberside and Esbjerg regions, which are key offshore wind hubs in the UK and Denmark respectively.
It also offered a convenient alternative for passengers with personal connections in both areas.
But Eastern Airways has decided to close the service inside its first year of operation, citing lack of demand related to the offshore construction sector, the company confirmed to The Local.
“In essence we have suspended the Humberside-Esbjerg service given the current low demand related to the decline in offshore renewable construction phases of activity, so the specific demand for Esbjerg falls with that,” a spokesperson from the airline said via email.
“In the short term, this was also accelerated as a decision with the sharp increase in ground handling charges related to the sole supplier at Humberside Airport increasing their rates by over 40 percent at short notice, driven by a lack of sufficient other activity at the airport,” they added.
One of the airline’s passengers on the now-discontinued route said using it had been “probably the smoothest experience we've ever had flying from one country to another”.
“It's such a shame this hasn't worked out for Eastern Airways, but it was nice while it lasted,” said Robin Cantrill-Fenwick, who took the Humberside-Esbjerg flight in April.
Cantrill-Fenwick praised the service at the airport and the convenience of the link between the two locations.
“It was great to have a direct link from the Northeast of England to Denmark, and it encouraged us to explore Jutland. Flying out of Manchester Airport is a hellscape by comparison," he said.
Eastern Airways’ spokesperson did not rule out a future return of the service in some form.
“We will continue the dialogue with all key stakeholders involved, so as any new construction or development phases materialise, the right shaped service and frequency returns,” they said.
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