Eastern Air Lines (2015)

Eastern Air Lines, fully Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc.,[2] was an airline based in Miami, Florida, founded in 2011. It operated charter flights between Miami and destinations in the United States, Caribbean and Latin America.[3]

For the original airline that operated from 1926 until ceasing operations in 1991, see Eastern Air Lines. For the company currently using the name, see Eastern Airlines LLC.
Eastern Air Lines Group, Inc.
IATA ICAO Callsign
EA EAL EASTERN
Founded2011
Commenced operationsMay 28, 2015[1]
Ceased operationsSeptember 2017
AOC #29EA847N
HubsMiami International Airport
Frequent-flyer programLatinOnePass
Fleet size4
Destinations14
HeadquartersMiami-Dade County, Florida
Key peopleCEO: James Tolzien. President: Vincent Viola.
Websiteeasternairlines.aero (2016 archive)

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

History

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.[4] 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.[5][6][7][8][9] Scheduled service was planned to follow 12 to 18 months later.[10][11][12] However, the necessary FAA certification was not given.

On September 9, 2015, an Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 came to the aid of stranded cruise ship passengers at St. Thomas. [13]

On June 5, 2016, Eastern Air Lines flew the body of Muhammad Ali from Phoenix, Arizona to Louisville, Kentucky on one of its 737s.[14]

Eastern Air Lines signed a three-year agreement in August 2015 to become the “Official Airline” for University of Miami Athletics.[15] Eastern operated charter flights for some professional sports teams (Florida Panthers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, Oakland A's, Portland Timbers)[16] and other colleges (Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University).[17] 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).[18]

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.[12]

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. 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. 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]

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.[12]

Frequent-flyer program

The airline announced that its frequent-flyer program would be called LatinOnePass,[19] partially taking the name "OnePass" of the former Eastern Airlines' program (which was then sold to Continental).

Fleet

The Eastern Air Lines fleet was composed of the following aircraft (as of August 2017):[20]

Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Boeing 737-700 1 — 64 — 64 Stored
Boeing 737-800 4 — 12 150 162
Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 10[21] TBA Aircraft were planned to be delivered from 2018 but orders were cancelled due to airline collapse.
Total 5 10
Eastern Air Lines Boeing 737-800 registration N276EA at JFK Airport.

The Eastern Air Lines Group placed orders for ten Boeing 737-800s, with the rights to purchase an additional ten 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.[22][23] The first used Boeing 737-800 was delivered in December 2014.[12] It is named the Spirit of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, after the early leader of the original Eastern Air Lines.[24] On February 6, 2016, Eastern took delivery of its fifth aircraft, a used Boeing 737-800. This completed its first phase of aircraft acquisition.[25]

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.[12]

Accidents and incidents
  • October 27, 2016: N278EA, a Boeing 737-700, operating as Eastern Air Lines Flight 3452, carrying Republican vice presidential candidate Governor Mike Pence, skidded off the runway and into a concrete arrestor bed after landing too long on the runway at LaGuardia Airport. It was only lightly damaged, but Pence and his team transferred to N277EA in the meantime.[26][27] The final NTSB report was issued in October 2017.[28]
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See also

References
  1. "Eastern Air Lines to Inaugurate Flying Next Week". Airchive. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  2. Perrella, Enrique (August 23, 2019). "Eastern Airlines Comes Back: New Logo, JFK Hub, Triple Sevens". Airways Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  3. "Eastern Air Lines Returns Home to Miami". Airchive. Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  4. 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.
  5. "@FlyEastern at @Reagan_Airport!". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  6. "#Veterans taking their #HonorFlight on board an @flyeastern #737. Approaching @Reagan_Airport. @honorflightSFLA". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  7. "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.
  8. "Welcome back to @Reagan_Airport @FlyEastern! 24 years in the making and proud it was for an #HonorFlight!". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  9. "Welcome to @Reagan_Airport, @FlyEastern". twitter.com. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  10. Sampson, Hannah (29 January 2014). "Group plans to bring Eastern Air Lines back to Miami". Miami Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  11. "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.
  12. Linares, Luis (22 December 2014). "Eastern Air Lines Is Back After Being Gone For Over 20 Years". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  13. https://stthomassource.com/content/2015/09/10/eastern-airlines-charter-picks-up-carnival-passengers/
  14. TEGNA. "Muhammad Ali's body returns to Louisville ahead of memorial".
  15. "Eastern Named UM Athletics' Official Airline".
  16. "Tweets with replies by Eastern Air Lines (@FlyEastern) - Twitter".
  17. "Tweets with replies by Eastern Air Lines (@FlyEastern) - Twitter".
  18. "Tweets with replies by Eastern Air Lines (@FlyEastern) - Twitter".
  19. MacLennan, Alexander (23 August 2014). "America's Newest Airline Is a Very Old One". The Motley Fool. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  20. "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part Two)". Airliner World (November 2016): 38.
  21. "Eastern Air Lines". atwonline.
  22. Brown, David Parker (22 July 2014). "Catching Up with the New Eastern Air Lines". Airline Reporter. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  23. "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 ...
  24. @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.
  25. "Eastern Air Lines @FlyEastern Feb 6th". Twitter. 6 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  26. "Mike Pence's Plane Skids Off Runway at LaGuardia Airport, Prompting Runway Closures". ABC News. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  27. Simon Hradecky (28 October 2016). "Accident: Eastern Air Lines B737 at New York on Oct 27th 2016, overran runway on landing long". The Aviation Herald.
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