Eastern Airlines: The World’s Strangest Airline?

Eastern Airlines: The World’s Strangest Airline?

79

It has been quite some time since I’ve written about Eastern Airlines, which I consider to be the most unusual “real” airline in the world. The airline is based in the United States and has over a dozen wide body jets, yet does very little with them. Somehow the airline is still around, though…

What is Eastern Airlines?

Perhaps a bit of background would be useful. First of all, it’s worth acknowledging the history associated with the name. Eastern was a major airline back in the day (one of the “big four” airlines at the time), and ceased operations in 1991.

In 2015 rights to the Eastern name were purchased, though that airline went out of business within a couple of years. Finally in 2018 Dynamic International Airways (primarily a charter operator) purchased rights to the Eastern name, and that’s what modern day Eastern is.

For those of you not familiar with the current iteration of Eastern, the airline has a fleet of over a dozen Boeing 767s and 777s, all of which were acquired secondhand. Here’s what the airline claims its mission is:

“Our mission is to bring back the sense of awe and wonder to air travel by providing underserved markets across the globe with direct, nonstop flights with the best value.”

In theory the airline primarily operates routes between the United States and Latin America, and below is the routemap from Eastern’s website.

Eastern Airlines’ routemap (sort of)

While I can in theory appreciate the concept of operating routes in underserved markets, the airline hasn’t actually done a whole lot of that. Over the past few years we’ve seen Eastern repeatedly announce routes, only to cancel them before launch:

  • The airline was supposed to launch once weekly Chicago to Sarajevo flights, but that never happened
  • The airline was supposed to launch 3x weekly New York to San Diego flights, but that never happened
  • The airline was supposed to launch 2x weekly New York to Jinan via Anchorage flights, but that never happened
  • The airline was supposed to launch 2x weekly New York to Los Cabos flights, but that never happened

That’s only a small sampling of the flights that Eastern was going to operate, but didn’t end up following through on.

Am I the only one confused by Eastern?

The above is some history on Eastern Airlines, so what’s the current state of the airline? For some reason I thought of the airline this morning, and pulled up the website.

At the moment, Eastern’s only route for sale is a once monthly New York (JFK) to Guayaquil (GYE) route. Yes, once monthly. That’s it. No other routes. The airline has 15 wide body jets, and one, once monthly route. Hmmm…

Speaking of Eastern’s fleet of 15 jets, how much flying have those planes been doing? In the past several months, only three of those planes have even operated any flights:

  • Eastern acquired five Boeing 777s in late 2020, but hasn’t operated a single flight with a single one of those jets
  • Only three Boeing 767s have operated flights in recent months, with the registration codes N700KW, N703KW, and N705KW
  • It seems to me like almost all of these flights have been military charters, as routes have included Guam to Anchorage, El Paso to Camp Springs, Kuwait City to Portsmouth (via Shannon), etc.

Does anyone want to take a crack at what’s going on here? I mean, this is a real airline, with real airplanes. This isn’t Global Ghana Airlines. The airline has now for several years had a significant fleet, yet hasn’t been able to consistently and regularly operate scheduled flights.

Rather the airline seems to have some random charters, while maintaining a highly underutilized fleet. Personally I don’t really see merit to Eastern’s point-to-point business model, without more connectivity.

There’s also a huge market for charter operators and wet lease agreements, and it seems like the airline would be much better off pursuing that. However, even there the airline seems to have very limited business.

While I know these planes were purchased for a fraction of what you’d pay for a new plane, this is still real money being spent. Who is funding this, and how is the airline still in business?

Eastern Airlines hasn’t yet flown its Boeing 777s

Bottom line

I can’t think of a stranger “real” airline than Eastern. The US airline has a fleet of over a dozen wide body jets, yet only three of those planes have flown at all in recent months, primarily for (presumably) military charters. In terms of scheduled flights, the airline is currently selling tickets for a once monthly flight between New York and Guayaquil.

Can anyone make sense of this, and when the other shoe will drop here?

Conversations (79)
The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.
Type your response here.

If you'd like to participate in the discussion, please adhere to our commenting guidelines. Anyone can comment, and your email address will not be published. Register to save your unique username and earn special OMAAT reputation perks!

  1. Michael Ruble Guest

    An Eastern Airlines 767 just landed at Nellis Air Force Base about 10 minutes ago (3/6/24).

  2. Snoopy Guest

    Two narcisstic egos, destroyed the original Eastern Airlines. Eastern 2.0 failure was due to incompetent leadership. But, Eastern 3.0 will be the biggest disaster yet, by a little rich kid who wanted to play "airline", going from owning 50% of the company to 30%. Some free advice, from me to Ken is "Sell the Eastern name and intellectual property to a serious investor who wants to put Eastern back in the air." You will be...

    Two narcisstic egos, destroyed the original Eastern Airlines. Eastern 2.0 failure was due to incompetent leadership. But, Eastern 3.0 will be the biggest disaster yet, by a little rich kid who wanted to play "airline", going from owning 50% of the company to 30%. Some free advice, from me to Ken is "Sell the Eastern name and intellectual property to a serious investor who wants to put Eastern back in the air." You will be able to re-coup some of your losses, and change the name of this S**t Show to "Fantasy Airlines." Saw Eastern in a news broadcast, dropping off a load of illegals from the southern border a few nights ago.

  3. PIT Guest

    As someone who provides ground transportation for these types of airlines, yes, majority is from military bases to a local, off base hotel. There are also flights that have high principles on them. Be it government officials, film crews, sometimes famous people, etc.

  4. mrs s Guest

    We had an Eastern Airlines fly out of Cheyenne WY this morning. We never get planes that big here except our C130s so I noticed it right away. When I looked on flight radar it showed Cheyenne to Pittsburg. We don’t have sports teams here so I’m not sure what it was doing in our neck of the woods

  5. Marnix Guest

    One of their 767-336 just landed in Eindhoven (EHV) in the Netherlands arriving from Bangor.

  6. Al Banville Guest

    They did fly The New England Patriots to there away games etc. Until very recently and are now being sued for 20+mil$ by said Patriots

  7. Pabalo Munoz Guest

    Russian oligarch money is funding this airline. Does the name Olga Alouf ring a bell?

  8. Reed Guest

    They fly at least one commercial flight a year to maintain their status to be able to legally fly international cargo, for the government and I'm sure for private clients as well. I'm sure it's either just a legal requirement for the type of transport that they do, or it's for tax benefits or international regulations, but I'm positive that's why.

  9. James Guest

    An Eastern airlines 767 just added at Jacksonville Naval Air Station. Flight originated in Lajes.

  10. bc Guest

    Noel Philips published a review on them: https://youtu.be/P2ZuJxiNxIs

  11. Pablo Bethencourt Guest

    Can somebody please tell me how in the world this airline is still in business & they just purchased an airline called Hillwood Airlines in Dallas.
    My email is [email protected]
    I would like to investigate this company because something is not right

  12. Clayton Guest

    Let them fly the wide bodies. It’s better than what’s being offered. More room to move around. They will eventually figure it out. Welcome back to the sky, Eastern once known as “The Wings of Man”

  13. Darek Guest

    Yesterday, on March 5th, 2023 I spotted in the air over me, passing by in front of my balcony in Poznan on a landing path to RWY 28 of EPPO Airport,
    (western Poland/Europe, western neighbour country of Ukraine, if it could interest somebody),

    a landing Boeing 777-212(ER), registered as N771KW,
    in early morning hours
    (5 a.m., which time is rather untypical right here on our rather small airport of a 550 Tsd....

    Yesterday, on March 5th, 2023 I spotted in the air over me, passing by in front of my balcony in Poznan on a landing path to RWY 28 of EPPO Airport,
    (western Poland/Europe, western neighbour country of Ukraine, if it could interest somebody),

    a landing Boeing 777-212(ER), registered as N771KW,
    in early morning hours
    (5 a.m., which time is rather untypical right here on our rather small airport of a 550 Tsd. inhabitants-City).

    Guess what an Airline? Right! Eastern!

    Now, at 3:25 after Midnight (European time), when I check the well known to the most of you - Flightradar 24
    - the same Machine, started from EPPO at 11.33 before midnight,

    - is somewhere over North Atlantic, more or less between Iceland and Greenland, with a heading of 269 degr. on their way - to seemgly a point in North America..

    I've never before seen here the Eastern Machines, exactly as I've never before the Russian agression on the Ukraine - seen here (at EPPO) 747's Cargo of ATLAS AIR landing, and never before the war spotted Kalitta Air B747's over Poland.

    So what are the clues? I think - rather obvious - I suppose strongly -as somebody in one of the comments before - that this "strange airline" have to be "in strong connections" to US Military or/and US Government and is in some way an "inofficial transport backup division" for them.

    Maybe to cover ...or to make some transport - operations not so obvious to the whole world around.

    I wouldn't be surprised if that claim find some background and an affirmation from other sources in the future.

  14. DanDare New Member

    I'd be absolutely amazed if the bulk of Eastern's fleet
    was NOT on a retainer to some aspect of the US military or US Government.?

    There's no good reason for owning a dozen large airliners
    if they're Not making you money.!
    They require parking & maintaining
    & the only reason to retain the aircraft rather than dispose of them
    is if someone's paying you a substantial retainer
    to make it worth your while.!!!

  15. Fred Guest

    They are flying their first revenue flight in the triple.
    Charter for the Georgia Bulldogs to Ontario CA...

  16. Gwen Guest

    What’s up? Just seen an Eastern Jet in Thunder Bay Ontario Canada. What kind of a flight was this?

  17. Rob Guest

    2D3076 Just flew over our office here in Cypress CA. Says its departed El Paso and is landing at Los Alamitos Air Base. Strange....

    -r
    12/20/22

  18. Rickt Guest

    I believe two of 767's in their fleet are operated solely for the New England Patriots.

  19. Fred Guest

    Same!!!

    Hard to believe they are actually flying their 777 on proving runs!

    1. Laughing at you Guest

      Believe it, eat your heart out!

    2. Clown show Guest

      Hahaha Eastern Airlines run by clowns running a pathetic failing joke of an operation. Parking the majority of their decrepit Old 767 fleet, lost the New England Patriots contract, only airline in the USA to be furloughing Pilots and flight attendants, running out of cash and has fired and/or laid off the majority of their ground staff. Great job to the so called joke of a management who’s the laughing stock of the airline industry...

      Hahaha Eastern Airlines run by clowns running a pathetic failing joke of an operation. Parking the majority of their decrepit Old 767 fleet, lost the New England Patriots contract, only airline in the USA to be furloughing Pilots and flight attendants, running out of cash and has fired and/or laid off the majority of their ground staff. Great job to the so called joke of a management who’s the laughing stock of the airline industry and certainly won’t ever be hired anywhere else.
      Eat your heart out? Hahahahahhaa.

  20. Secret Guest

    I find it funny all these comments from ex employees or current and OMAAT hasn't bothered to maybe follow up and get a juicer article, myself included

  21. Ginger Snaps Guest

    Whats left at Eastern 3.0?? CEO, same guy who has ruined every airline he ever ran and got booted from Alegiant before he drove them to the same fate. A bozo named Alex Bell…. Look that one up! A Guyanese illegal inflight director. New York based is composed of 7/8 lifers that have pretty much been rejected by every single carrier. These bottom feeders are given big tittles like ATS, ATGI etc. by the illegal...

    Whats left at Eastern 3.0?? CEO, same guy who has ruined every airline he ever ran and got booted from Alegiant before he drove them to the same fate. A bozo named Alex Bell…. Look that one up! A Guyanese illegal inflight director. New York based is composed of 7/8 lifers that have pretty much been rejected by every single carrier. These bottom feeders are given big tittles like ATS, ATGI etc. by the illegal crew visa holding Director of Inflight. Only real job the NYC crew has is it bully and make other poor souls lives miserable until they quit or comply with all illegalities. Quick side note, these amoebas of aviation are all friends with the illegal queen B. In short, if you value yourself, don’t consider yourself to be ghetto, undereducated or just plain nasty….PLEASE STAY CLEAR OF THIS PLACE LOL.

  22. TRUTHTALKER Guest

    This place needs to be investigated and im sure the CEO would be in prison! Director of inflight is a Guyanese national working on a crew member visa. All DOD flights are packed with international based flight attendants and the company “hides” them by making them stay on base when stateside. Troops are treated like crap. They are fed rotten meals some with maggots!! Someone really needs to call thia airline out. I just don’t...

    This place needs to be investigated and im sure the CEO would be in prison! Director of inflight is a Guyanese national working on a crew member visa. All DOD flights are packed with international based flight attendants and the company “hides” them by making them stay on base when stateside. Troops are treated like crap. They are fed rotten meals some with maggots!! Someone really needs to call thia airline out. I just don’t understand how they are allowed to break every rule! Ask any former employee and you will see this is all true. THEY HAVE VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF EVERYTHING!! Just need to know where to send. Planes are unsafe and a step away from a disaster every flight. Pilots who are worth anything have left.

  23. Run away from Eastern!!! Guest

    I have never ever worked a toxic, unprofessional, unorganized, and unhealthy work environment like Eastern. The lack of leadership is affecting employees from top to bottom. No talent whatsoever and most of so called “directors and managers” won’t even pass a preliminary interview with legacy airlines. I get it no work place it perfect but this place is beyond a mess. Being a leadership is taking responsibility even when you make wrong decisions, but what...

    I have never ever worked a toxic, unprofessional, unorganized, and unhealthy work environment like Eastern. The lack of leadership is affecting employees from top to bottom. No talent whatsoever and most of so called “directors and managers” won’t even pass a preliminary interview with legacy airlines. I get it no work place it perfect but this place is beyond a mess. Being a leadership is taking responsibility even when you make wrong decisions, but what they do is point fingers at each other and talk shit behind each others back. So unprofessional. The way how people join and resign shows how toxic the work place is. My local McDonald’s keep employees longer than Easter.

  24. Athena Rose Guest

    The best and only good department head in this company is Sherri Comp. She is absolutely taking the shit end of the stick for all the highers ups idiots fuck ups. They blame everything on her even though she’s the only one who gives a damn about anything at all. Inspite of what anyone may say, unlike every other department that would throw their employee under the bus Sherri wouldn’t. She would legit stand up and take the fall. That to me is a good boss.

  25. Ladywhistledown Guest

    I would be ashamed and super disappointed to put that I worked for this company on my resume. Where do I start. Alex Bell is the biggest laughing stock in the entire company and beside him sits tweedle dee and tweedle dum Lana Belasco and Yulanda Armstrong. All 3 equally racist all 3 equally intellectually malnourished and mentally lacerated. Alex Bell screws over all his dispatchers to the point they run for jobs elsewhere. As...

    I would be ashamed and super disappointed to put that I worked for this company on my resume. Where do I start. Alex Bell is the biggest laughing stock in the entire company and beside him sits tweedle dee and tweedle dum Lana Belasco and Yulanda Armstrong. All 3 equally racist all 3 equally intellectually malnourished and mentally lacerated. Alex Bell screws over all his dispatchers to the point they run for jobs elsewhere. As for Lana Belasco she really does think she’s everyone’s boss as someone stated in the comments. I would be too if I had the hots for the company president Harfst. She gets paid to do jack all while everybody else has to be at her beck and call all cause she’s a ‘contractor’ makes more than all the people who actually work hard and does nothing but order people around like a slave master. As for Armstrong the absolute laughing stock of inflight thinks she’s hot shit. Everybody keeps quitting ever since she came on board. She thinks because she has a degree that it means she’s better than anybody else so she treats everyone like they’re dumb. Any minor inconvenience to her she plays the ‘they’re racist cause I’m black’ card. Has Reid White at her beck and call also. Treats all her fas like absolute shit. Has horrible management style, incompetency is the order of the day. E.A.L fed her with fake promises that they will sponsor her. Either way nobody wants that job so it wasn’t a loss to anybody. The best thing you can do is run far from this place do not work here it’s a toxic environment. I Think if you look in the dictionary for corrupt, unscrupulous and unprofessional you would find these individuals photographs next to these words, they do a bunch of ‘DOD’ flights with military troops. Flights can’t be tracked. And have the weirdest flight timings and routes. This is a money laundering company at best because the economics of it just don’t add up at the end of the day. In conclusion I think this esoteric company would make for great investigative journalism some day and hopefully the mysteries that surrounds it can be put under the microscope and the relevant authorities be held accountable

  26. Marsha Reynolds Guest

    The company occasionally fails to meet its goals. Who cares? The company doesn't have its planes all operating. Why does it matter? The airline can't figure out if its mission. What's the point? The airline owes money to allot of airports and handlers. Who is counting?

    What really matters is how often they get someone to write about it and how many dreams they have. That is what is important. Ask anyone about the guy...

    The company occasionally fails to meet its goals. Who cares? The company doesn't have its planes all operating. Why does it matter? The airline can't figure out if its mission. What's the point? The airline owes money to allot of airports and handlers. Who is counting?

    What really matters is how often they get someone to write about it and how many dreams they have. That is what is important. Ask anyone about the guy from MIA that came to collect one day. That's a funny story!

  27. Marques José Guest

    This company has several embraer e195 jets and One at600 being operated on TAP flights

  28. Kent Guest

    A source I know claims that they operate covert flights for government activities, including diplomatic flights. Beyond that, your imagination is a good a guess as any.

  29. Steven Rosenberg Guest

    Odd! How do they keep employees?

    1. Captain Guest

      Mostly international based flight attendants being pay a lot of money without taxes while americans flight attendants have a hard time to stay in the airline due to the rough conditions and low salaries.

  30. Cap Guest

    Eastern can’t maintain a schedule or a long
    term charter commitment because their
    airplanes are junk. Each aircraft operates (when not grounded) with a list of inoperative components and Or systems. Management is
    No better. They got conned by some regional pilot named Juri that he was a Director of Operations, and he just about wrecked the place. I wouldn’t think they’ll be around much longer.

    1. ExCaptain Guest

      Thenew DO and assistant DO are responsible for most of the pilots leaving. As of today I think they have 6 or 7 captains and no check airmen or training department and I think 1 dispatcher. The new management has made the company a toxic place to work.

    2. joke Guest

      Place has become a disaster, patriots contract is the only thing keeping them alive. the CP is a moron whom has a stained record from US Airways, A Bell is a fake wannabe who got canned from emirates. Jyri Strandman destroyed by firing or demoting anyone who wasn't his buddy. The director of scheduling pushes everyone to break the rules to benefit herself and the airline in order to get promoted, she works the DO...

      Place has become a disaster, patriots contract is the only thing keeping them alive. the CP is a moron whom has a stained record from US Airways, A Bell is a fake wannabe who got canned from emirates. Jyri Strandman destroyed by firing or demoting anyone who wasn't his buddy. The director of scheduling pushes everyone to break the rules to benefit herself and the airline in order to get promoted, she works the DO in breaking FARs and illegal rest. contract mechanics who can't fix anything and one way or another some there is always guyana fa that is trying to sleep with you to get a green card, all the good captains are gone, i mean the fact people from dynamic quit says alot , place is in bed with the faa and is a giant money laundering operation for ken wooley

  31. Mdunn Guest

    Eastern can’t hold any schedule or any
    charter commitment because the aircraft
    are in such bad condition mechanically, any
    other company would take them out of service. Management is just bad as the aircraft.
    Eastern is still recovering from the incompetence of Juri Strandman a regional airline pilot that conned them into thinking he was a Director of Operations.

  32. red_robbo Guest

    "Our mission is to bring back the sense of awe and wonder to air travel"
    Yes - "I *wonder* if the new route will start *awe* not".

  33. BAe 146 Guest

    Well, there was also Air America and Southern Air Transport that operated for the CIA.
    Is it possible that these aircraft fly routes that are sensitive with their ADS-B turned off? They wouldn't show up on FlightAware or Flight Radar24

  34. Bob Robar Guest

    What's so sad about this is the thousands of former Eastern Air Lines (notice the difference between the spelling Eastern Airlines!) who are still proud of what we had... I worked for the former for 25 years during the glory days of Eastern and there is no domestic airline with service like we did back in the day.
    This wannabe is flying illegals in the middle of the night all over America - Do...

    What's so sad about this is the thousands of former Eastern Air Lines (notice the difference between the spelling Eastern Airlines!) who are still proud of what we had... I worked for the former for 25 years during the glory days of Eastern and there is no domestic airline with service like we did back in the day.
    This wannabe is flying illegals in the middle of the night all over America - Do aircraft histories of those AC on FlightRadar24 and see how many flights left Harlingen, Del Rio, El Paso, Corpus, on & on, with hundred of illegals on every one of them, being flown by our government and dropping them off in the middle of the night all over the states. You never heard about it on ABC, CBS, NBC. Fox did a report once when they went to an airport and filmed these people getting off the plane and being put in plain white busses and driven off into the night. They followed the buses and the drivers were mum about everything related to the whole issue.
    Wake up America! Please!!!

    1. Secret ghost Guest

      Delusional much?

    2. Oriflamme Guest

      Were you frothing at the mouth when you spewed out this deranged diatribe? Get help.

    3. Ron Guest

      Its true - the government is flying illegals all over the country currently to 45 mid sized cities.

  35. Henry Young Guest

    Probably one of the several "fake" airlines that mostly operate charters for US DoD troop rotations, immigration returns, flying in Amazon workers from Mexico, etc. There's a lot of people moving flights that are rather more systematic in nature and semi-under-the-radar. You can watch them in SkyGlass running in mil-ops mode which picks up a lot of the "off label" flights through its crowd sourced network of transponder receivers.

  36. unkwon Guest

    Have you seen the Board ? is the same people operating the Global X airline, after Eastern Air Lines B737 at New York on Oct 27th 2016, overran runway on landing long and there was another one I cant remember more earlier. So they still have airplanes but not flying them. Unless it’s chartered.

  37. Scab identifiers Guest

    EAL had a great opportunity to become something big, back when the pandemic started.
    But that train has been long gone.
    The biggest problem with EAL is the CEO. Harfst. He put two airlines to the ground and 3rd one is on the way.
    Then original EAL scabs started to join the airline along with management personnel with fake and fake qualifications and EAL became a nightmare.
    Maintenance is non existed....

    EAL had a great opportunity to become something big, back when the pandemic started.
    But that train has been long gone.
    The biggest problem with EAL is the CEO. Harfst. He put two airlines to the ground and 3rd one is on the way.
    Then original EAL scabs started to join the airline along with management personnel with fake and fake qualifications and EAL became a nightmare.
    Maintenance is non existed. They treat people (passengers and employees) extremely bad.
    They lost 75% of their pilots in 2-3 weeks. They are constantly practicing with out respecting FARs thinking they can get away...I am actually surprised that the FAA hasn't shutdown this company.
    They employee personel...from other countries without the legal right to live and work in USA, promise them.green cards etc etc, giving them management titles, as long as they inflict respect through fear. Ecuador base flight attenands ang Guyana base flight attenands, getting paid $1000 per month being pushed to fly with out rest being threatened to operate illegal or the will lose their jobs.
    The FltOps Department of this company is allowing personel (rather 1 person...A.Bell) with a fake resume and the knowledge of a lamb (lamb has higher IQ ) to do nothing but illegal practices and puts safety to the side. Same goes with the in-flight director who is from Guyana...on a crew visa promised to get a green card working in management of a US carrier mostly doing DOD flights...Immigration services will get a kick out of this and US military also....non-citizens in high security US bases...
    This is a money laundering operation.
    An unsafe outfit and I would strongly steer away from anything that has Eastern Airlines on. Most likely it's been fraudulent...or forged...
    And the story is longgggggggg

    1. Secret Guest

      Oh A. Bell the man behind the great ETOPS Team…. Great knowledge from Emirates where he was FIRED!!!!

      Oh the stories……

    2. AlexSherriYulanda going to jail Guest

      Alex Bell is The clown they have ruining the operation along with another clown from Delta Reid White. The one is dragging the other ones name and reputation down more and more daily. Steve Harfst who’s the laughing stock of the Airline Industry small Company CEO’s has his alleged ex-lover, Lana Belasco, an ex- flight Attendant from North American working there as some sort of a project manager who thinks she’s everyone’s supervisor. Alex Bell...

      Alex Bell is The clown they have ruining the operation along with another clown from Delta Reid White. The one is dragging the other ones name and reputation down more and more daily. Steve Harfst who’s the laughing stock of the Airline Industry small Company CEO’s has his alleged ex-lover, Lana Belasco, an ex- flight Attendant from North American working there as some sort of a project manager who thinks she’s everyone’s supervisor. Alex Bell and Lana Belasco have gotten very close and as a result of Alex Bells horrible industry reputation, his lack of industry experience and knowledge and all out bogus and embellished resume, the employees have all filed AIR21 and whistleblower complaints against him
      Ever being promoted to Director of Operations or any 119 role anywhere. Alex Bell proudly told a group of us in training the other day that he’s the one whose “cleaned house” at Eastern, by getting rid of everyone that’s recently left, when in fact everyone had resigned because they didn’t want to be associated any longer with Alex Bell and his stupidity.
      They have no check airman left on the 767 and tried to use an initial Cadre 777 check airman to conduct training for the new 767 candidates and the FAA found out that Alex Bell had come up With this scheme and intervened.
      They have hardly any pilots left within the company and the in-flight crews that are remaining are just here also temporarily as we all mostly have been hired elsewhere and are awaiting start dates. Any pilots left here are basically the bottom of the barrel in the industry and are essentially equal to the original Eastern scabs and are Pilots that nobody wants to essentially hire anywhere else and that their peers have black listed at other airlines. Alex Bell himself has been trying to gain employment elsewhere and has been blocked by dozens of other peers that know of him in the industry every since he ran a Learjet off the runway and destroyed it and then tried to play the “race” card to prevent himself from getting terminated. The irony here is that Alex Bell, Lana Belasco, Reid White and our Inflight Director Yulanda are all people of color and yet have been sadly the biggest group of racists and bigots against people of their own backgrounds as well as others. It is a matter of time before Alex Bell and his minions cause an accident or severe violation which will result in the FAA also sharing responsibility for not shutting this criminal organization down sooner.

  38. TProphet Guest

    Saw their aircraft on the ground in both Dubai and Doha. Not on their route maps either.

  39. Secret Guest

    As a former employee I’d love to share the insight of how this place runs and why it’s so weird, it’s the writer of the article sees this feel free to reach out….

    I got plenty to share….

    1. ScaBell Guest

      The DOT , the FAA and the DOD has already been reaching out to a lot of the former and some current employees for information on eastern and the management. Apparently the FAA and even the FBI was also contacted by some former employees regarding some serious allegations and criminal complaints against the flight operations manager Alex Bell who has been terminated from everywhere he’s ever worked and totally detested in the airline industry. He...

      The DOT , the FAA and the DOD has already been reaching out to a lot of the former and some current employees for information on eastern and the management. Apparently the FAA and even the FBI was also contacted by some former employees regarding some serious allegations and criminal complaints against the flight operations manager Alex Bell who has been terminated from everywhere he’s ever worked and totally detested in the airline industry. He worked at Emirates and claimed to be the assistant chief pilot when in fact he was an assistant to the deputy chief pilot, so basically he was a secretary to the deputy chief pilots office. While at Emirates airlines he failed his command upgrade on multiple occasions and barely flew the line, yet has claimed he has substantial experience in the B777 with thousands and thousands of flight hours.

    2. Capt Guest

      True. Alex Bell is a fraud horrible pilot.
      Never made Captain at Emirates,
      just a pathetic boot licker,

  40. Pierre Diamond

    Lucky, you are too young to remember but that is exactly what Modern Air Transport was during the Indonesian wars, Vietnam, Cambodge etc... A seemingly civilian commercial airline whose business was 95% operating non-advertised and somewhat secret military flights and intelligence missions.

    And then... One day in 1967 (I have a good reason to remember the year) I flew from London (LHR) to Paris (ORY) in a Modern Air Transport CV 990 sporting Air France...

    Lucky, you are too young to remember but that is exactly what Modern Air Transport was during the Indonesian wars, Vietnam, Cambodge etc... A seemingly civilian commercial airline whose business was 95% operating non-advertised and somewhat secret military flights and intelligence missions.

    And then... One day in 1967 (I have a good reason to remember the year) I flew from London (LHR) to Paris (ORY) in a Modern Air Transport CV 990 sporting Air France stickers, in lieu of the usual Caravelle. Since I already digged and dugged commercial aviation stories, I managed to find out that Air France, short on its fleet, had considered leasing from Aeroflot some IL-62s and that Uncle Sam had intervened to sink the deal and offer the CV 990 instead.

    This was the only time ever I flew in a CV 990 and I was thrilled. Air France operated 3 for several months and the plane was a rarity in Europe, flown only by Spanish Spantax, a then competitor of Iberia. Swissair flew the shorter model, the CV 880.

    I am not implying that Eastern has the same operations, but it may be the case, or something similar.

    1. Maryland Guest

      Some things best not to question.

  41. TravelCat2 Gold

    My wife and I flew on Eastern Airlines round trip between Miami and Ushuaia back in February. It was chartered by Viking Cruises on short notice for their Antarctica cruise passengers in a (successful) attempt to minimize Covid-19 exposure. The fights were around 15 hours each with a refueling and crew swap stop in Montevideo. The outbound flight was our worst long-haul flight experience ever. After LOTS of complaints from the passengers, the return flight...

    My wife and I flew on Eastern Airlines round trip between Miami and Ushuaia back in February. It was chartered by Viking Cruises on short notice for their Antarctica cruise passengers in a (successful) attempt to minimize Covid-19 exposure. The fights were around 15 hours each with a refueling and crew swap stop in Montevideo. The outbound flight was our worst long-haul flight experience ever. After LOTS of complaints from the passengers, the return flight was tolerable (but still had no in-flight entertainment options). I would never choose to fly this incarnation of Eastern Airlines.

  42. C. Wesley Guest

    Good friend many, many years ago Father was an Eastern pilot. Two sons became pilots. One couldn't get on with Eastern because he didn't have 20/20 vision. Delta hired him. The rest is history.

    Miss Eastern Airlines.

  43. Andy Diamond

    When I was in GYE last year, the flight back to NYC was operating about the same time. I can confirm that there was a plane (767), check-in desk (not too busy, but also not empty) and crew going through security control (very classic uniforms). Since our gates were quite far apart, I could tell that there were passengers boarding, but not how many (not an enormous crowd, though). So it seems they are actually operating to/from GYE.

  44. ConnectiJet Guest

    Lol@ forgetting their slots.

    They are on top of them. They were fighting with jetBlue and the FAA over frequencies to Ecuador. IIRC they were awarded 2 of them.

    They were very busy with repatriation flights from South America during Covid-19. That ended and its like they didn't know what to do next.

    They could have filled a bunch of seats this summer with leisure traffic. Even some JFK-MIA on select days would have kept them busy.

  45. Linda Kremer Guest

    I'm in Fargo ND and we've had one parked between our FBO and our Air National Guard hangers for months. I assumed they did military charter work. I'd love to know!

    1. Cap Guest

      It’s probably broke down. Their airplanes are garbage.

  46. joel Guest

    i managed to get to the payment page...

    1. Thierry New Member

      I managed as well - more importantly, I also found the itinerary on an OTA (opodo), so I guess it's possible at least to pay for it.
      (I looked for October 20 to November 18, NYC-GYE)

  47. Kate Guest

    There has been an Eastern Airlines 767 stuck in the Fargo airport since February, its now October. We have an office pool going for when it will leave but have had to open the pool for a second round. The story is it needed a new engine but they were trying to just replace parts. Now the new engine has arrived but the plane is still here...

    1. Zach B Guest

      Amused it ended up in Fargo of all places.

  48. Dave Guest

    How would they even get one single pilot to fly for them? With the pilot shortage, who would fly for them?

  49. S Ray Guest

    You can't even ticket for the JFK-GYE. I tried just for fun. The only dates are Oct 20 (return 21st) or Nov 17 (return 18th). In all cases, when you try to select a flight, I seemed to get an error message and it would return me to the booking page.

  50. Anthony Guest

    I know they are trying to hire flight attendants for a Philadelphia FA base. They have been recruiting since July. Not sure if this will lead to them bringing back service to PHL with the way they are operating

  51. Geoff Guest

    Frank Borman wholeheartedly endorses this.

  52. Evan Guest

    Could it be as simple as staffing shortages? No one can find pilots right now. Why would an experienced widebody pilot go work for this unprofitable startup airline when established airlines are fighting over them?

  53. Alex Guest

    Eastern also provides crew for non-airline businesses. For instance Eastern crew flies the patriots and cardinals around, operates flights for Drake, etc.

    Doesnt seem like enough to support the operating costs of a business, but I am sure it helps keep the lights on.

    1. Astro Guest

      Only the Pats , that is it!!!!

  54. Brandon Biden Guest

    It happens to be HQ'd a few miles from my bunker. I submit it's existence is either one of two possible explanations;

    It's a modern day Air America type outfit that hides behind a façade, doing charter work for US Gov't, others that cannot have military cargo planes on tarmac..

    Or, its owner is an OPM (other people's money) type that is some type of ponzi scheme, seen others in industry doing like wise. Believe this is case

    1. Beef Supreme Guest

      OPM. There is nothing secret going on there.

  55. DCAWABN Guest

    Money laundering. I have no factual real basis for that assumption but it just smacks of money laundering. Just enough credibility to say "We're an airline! See? We do airline stuff!" But no real money trail or sense of how they'd be making any profit. Eastern is the NFTs of the airlines.

    1. Jake Guest

      Exactly. It’s 1000% money laundering. Screams it.

    2. Adam Guest

      This is the consensus around most of us in the industry.

  56. Eli Guest

    Maybe they forgot about there slots so the FAA toke it away. Lol

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Secret Guest

As a former employee I’d love to share the insight of how this place runs and why it’s so weird, it’s the writer of the article sees this feel free to reach out…. I got plenty to share….

3
Pierre Diamond

Lucky, you are too young to remember but that is exactly what Modern Air Transport was during the Indonesian wars, Vietnam, Cambodge etc... A seemingly civilian commercial airline whose business was 95% operating non-advertised and somewhat secret military flights and intelligence missions. And then... One day in 1967 (I have a good reason to remember the year) I flew from London (LHR) to Paris (ORY) in a Modern Air Transport CV 990 sporting Air France stickers, in lieu of the usual Caravelle. Since I already digged and dugged commercial aviation stories, I managed to find out that Air France, short on its fleet, had considered leasing from Aeroflot some IL-62s and that Uncle Sam had intervened to sink the deal and offer the CV 990 instead. This was the only time ever I flew in a CV 990 and I was thrilled. Air France operated 3 for several months and the plane was a rarity in Europe, flown only by Spanish Spantax, a then competitor of Iberia. Swissair flew the shorter model, the CV 880. I am not implying that Eastern has the same operations, but it may be the case, or something similar.

3
TravelCat2 Gold

My wife and I flew on Eastern Airlines round trip between Miami and Ushuaia back in February. It was chartered by Viking Cruises on short notice for their Antarctica cruise passengers in a (successful) attempt to minimize Covid-19 exposure. The fights were around 15 hours each with a refueling and crew swap stop in Montevideo. The outbound flight was our worst long-haul flight experience ever. After LOTS of complaints from the passengers, the return flight was tolerable (but still had no in-flight entertainment options). I would never choose to fly this incarnation of Eastern Airlines.

3
Meet Ben Schlappig, OMAAT Founder
5,163,247 Miles Traveled

32,614,600 Words Written

35,045 Posts Published

Keep Exploring OMAAT
  • March 13, 2024
  • Ben Schlappig
35
What Are Fifth Freedom Flights?