Hundreds of job losses at Eastern Airways confirmed

ADMINISTRATORS ARE EXPECTED TO BE APPOINTED TO THE AIRLINE SOON

- By TOM KEIGHLEY

THE majority of Eastern Airways' 330 staff have been made redundant as the firm teeters on the brink of administration.

Insolvency experts are expected to be appointed to the Humberside Airport-based airline, which suspended all its flights this week.

Administrators at RSM UK Restructuring Advisory are lined up to take over at Eastern Airways (UK) Limited and Air Kilroe Limited - two companies making up the Eastern Airways business.

They say the recent cancellation of a KLM contract which saw Eastern flying four aircraft for KLM Cityhopper - left the group with high fixed overheads and a workforce that was unsustainable.

Eastern bosses were said to have mounted a rescue effort for the two companies but, with a large funding gap, the only option was to stop flights and appoint administrators.

In addition to the KLM work, Eastern had been flying UK routes under its own name and offering charter flights.