Eastern to launch domestic French flights

Specialist regional airline Eastern Airways will be expanding its network of scheduled services into France.

The UK carrier has set up a base at Dijon Bourgogne Airport giving the airport its first scheduled services for over seven years with new domestic flights taking off later this month.

From 20 September, services will start to Bordeaux with two flights each weekday along with a Sunday service. Flights to Toulouse will start from 27 September from Dijon with two flights each weekday along with a Sunday service. Two 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft will be based in Dijon.

"We have specialised in UK domestic scheduled services for over 12 years," said Chris Holliday, Eastern Airways' chief operating officer. "This latest venture allows us to share our expertise with the French domestic market. Our day return flights from Dijon should substantially cut down cross-country journey times for business travellers heading to Bordeaux and Toulouse."

Dijon Airport's managing director Daniel Lefebvre is looking forward to the arrival of Eastern Airways in Dijon. For Mr Lefebvre, this constitutes the first part of the airport's redevelopment, which includes major structural runway and terminal work. "No doubt these first two routes will increase trade between Burgundy and the two regions of Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrenees, and will benefit the economy. With Eastern Airways, Burgundy will regain its taste for air travel."

The city of Dijon is the capital of the Cote d'Or and Bourgogne region and industry includes manufacturing, automobile, electronics, machinery and pharmaceuticals. The region has some of the country's best wine producing vineyards, and of course Dijon is famous for its mustard.

Industry in Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region is focused around aerospace, electronics, automobile, banking, insurance food and wine. In Toulouse and the Midi-Pyrenees region, aeronautics and space are leading industries along with health research and development, information technology, electronics and food.

This new service "will bring closer business ties between Burgundy and Bordeaux" according to Laurent Courbu, President of Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as "boosting links between two of France's flagship regions for tourism and fine wines," declared Pascal Personne, President of the Board of Bordeaux Airport.