View source for Eastern Airlines, LLC

{{Short description|Charter airline of the United States}}
{{for multi|the original airline that operated from 1926 to 1991|Eastern Air Lines|the charter airline that operated from 2015 to 2017|Eastern Air Lines (2015)}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Eastern Airlines, LLC
| image = Eastern Airlines logo new.svg
| image_size = 250
| IATA = 2D
| ICAO = EAL
| callsign = EASTERN
| founded = {{start date and age|2010|10|mf=y|br=y}}<br />(as ''Dynamic Airways'')
| commenced = {{start date and age|2018|04|mf=y|br=y}}<br />(as ''Eastern Airlines'')
| ceased = 
| aoc = 2DYA074Q<ref name="FAA">{{Cite web|url=https://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=2DYA&OPER_FAR=121&OPER_NAME=EASTERN+AIRLINES+LLC|title=Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View|website=av-info.faa.gov|access-date=2019-06-27|archive-date=2023-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404222104/https://av-info.faa.gov/detail.asp?DSGN_CODE=2DYA&OPER_FAR=121&OPER_NAME=EASTERN+AIRLINES+LLC|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| hubs = [[Kansas City International Airport|Kansas City]]
| secondary_hubs = 
| focus_cities = 
| frequent_flyer = 
| alliance = 
| subsidiaries = [[Eastern Air Express]]
| fleet_size = 15
| destinations = 
| parent = Eastern Air Holdings Inc.
| headquarters = [[Kansas City, Missouri]]
| key_people = Brian Randow ([[President (corporate title)|President]] & [[Chief operating officer|COO]])<ref name="COO">{{cite web|url=https://www.mychesco.com/a/news/business/executives/newly-appointed-president-of-eastern-airlines/|title=Newly Appointed President of Eastern Airlines|website=Mychesco.com|date=23 April 2023 |access-date=April 23, 2023}}</ref> <br> Dragan Djordjevic ([[CFO]]) <br> Steve Kasteler ([[Executive Vice President|EVP]])<ref name="COO" />
| website = {{URL|https://goeasternair.com}}
}}

'''Eastern Airlines, LLC''' is an American airline founded in 2010. It began as '''Dynamic Airways''' and later added "International" to its name to reflect its transition from a charter airline into scheduled international services. Under the Dynamic name, the airline was headquartered in High Point, North Carolina, offering service from New York to South America. It used to operate from Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York to the Caribbean, Cancún, and South America.

Following a successful bankruptcy restructuring in April 2018, Dynamic International Airways obtained a license to use the Eastern [[intellectual property]] from [[Swift Air]], and the leases of two aircraft from [[Eastern Air Lines (2015)|the 2015 Eastern Air Lines]] startup. Dynamic was rebranded as Eastern Airlines.

==History==
===Dynamic Airways===
[[File:Dynamic Airways Logo.svg|thumb|Dynamic Airways' former logo]]
[[File:Dynamic Airways Boeing 767-336(ER) N740JM.jpg|thumb|A Dynamic Airways [[Boeing 767-300ER]] at JFK Airport Terminal 1, in the former livery, registered N740JM]]
Dynamic Airways was established by Dynamic Aviation with its first aircraft being a second-hand [[McDonnell Douglas MD-88]] delivered a year before operations started in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airlinesanddestinations.com/aircraft/new-charter-airline-dynamic-airways-launches-with-md-88/|title=New Charter Airline Dynamic Airways Launches with MD-88|website=Sun-sentinel.com|access-date=October 27, 2010}}</ref> The airline officially started operations in early October 2010 after receiving its [[air operator's certificate]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://worldairlinenews.com/tag/dynamic-airways/|title=Dynamic Airways to start operations in early November|date=October 27, 2010|work=World Airline News|access-date=4 October 2013}}</ref>

In November 2010, the airline started to operate for [[Direct Air]]. The company's first aircraft was re-painted in livery and leased to Direct Air.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20110615/news/110619590|title=Direct Air Will Use MD-88 For Lakeland Service|date=June 15, 2011|work=The Ledger|access-date=5 October 2013|archive-date=5 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005143242/http://www.theledger.com/article/20110615/news/110619590|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As the airline approached its second year of operations, its first [[Boeing 767-200]] was delivered to the airline, followed by the approval for another MD-88 to take to the skies.{{Citation needed|date=October 2013}}

Not long after the purchase of the second MD-88, Dynamic announced a three-year partnership flying for [[Hoda Air Services]] in [[South Korea]]. The deal, which included an MD-88 supported by a full crew, was the airline's first in Asia. The airline continued to expand when its first 767 entered service and the second was delivered, which was, according to the airline, available for [[aircraft lease#Wet lease|ACMI wet lease]], full charter and corporate shuttle programs for private and government organizations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=343330639077966&set=a.337423393002024.75001.337409866336710&type=1&theater|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131005042717/https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=343330639077966&set=a.337423393002024.75001.337409866336710&type=1&theater| archive-date=2013-10-05|title=Dynamic Airways Boeing 767|date=June 28, 2012|work=Dynamic Airways/Facebook|access-date=5 October 2013}}</ref>

In March 2012, Direct Air temporarily suspended its operations and canceled all charter flights, subsequently filing for bankruptcy. It ceased operations completely shortly after, having been found to have racked up millions in debts. The MD-88 was returned to Dynamic as a result. A third 767 was delivered to Dynamic on March 6.{{Cn|date=October 2024}} This 767 entered operations in early 2013.{{Citation needed|date=October 2013}}

Dynamic operated a successful [[Aircraft lease|wet-lease ACMI]] for [[EZjet]], operating regular flights from [[New York City]] to [[Georgetown, Guyana|Georgetown]] utilizing their 767-200. This operation ceased in 2012, prompting Dynamic's move into regularly scheduled services, starting with the resurrection of the New York to Georgetown route in June 2014, competing with [[Caribbean Airlines]] and [[Fly Jamaica Airways]] on that route, the latter two flying the route as a fifth-freedom service.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=150211&cat=1|title=Dynamic Airways to launch regular flights next month|date=September 16, 2013|work=[[Saipan Tribune]]|access-date=4 October 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131005004735/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=150211&cat=1|archive-date=5 October 2013}}</ref>

In 2015, Dynamic also added services from [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]], flying to both [[Caracas]] and [[Rio de Janeiro]]{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}. In 2016, Dynamic added new routes from New York to the Caribbean and Latin America, commencing service to Caracas (filling a void left after [[American Airlines]] canceled that same route) [[Cancún]], and [[Punta Cana]], and entered both the Chicago and Los Angeles markets, with service from [[Chicago]] to both [[Punta Cana]] and [[Cancún]], and from [[Los Angeles]] to Cancún and [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]]. However, the latter was later withdrawn before launch. By August 2016, however, all of the new routes except for the New York to Caracas route had been canceled and the Fort Lauderdale to Caracas service. Soon after those cancellations, Mexican low-cost carrier [[Interjet]] began operating some of the canceled routes to and from Cancún.

After summer of 2017, Dynamic withdrew from scheduled services and re-focused as an ACMI operator. In November 2017, Dynamic and its affiliated airline [[Swift Air]] went bankrupt.<ref name="awmag">{{cite news|last1=Perrella|first1=Enrique|title=Eastern Airlines Comes Back: New Logo, JFK Hub, Triple Sevens|url=https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/eastern-airlines-3-comes-back/|access-date=July 6, 2020|work=Airways Magazine|date=August 23, 2019}}</ref>

===Eastern Airlines===
[[File:Eastern Airlines (2D) Boeing 767-336(ER) N703KW taxiing at JFK Airport.jpg|thumb|The same aircraft as above in a bare Eastern livery, now registered N703KW, also at JFK Airport, taxiing out for departure on Runway 4L]]
[[File:Eastern Airlines Boeing 767-200ER N605KW.jpg|thumb|An Eastern Airlines [[Boeing 767-200ER]] in a hybrid Eastern/[[Swift Air]] livery, arriving at [[Toronto Pearson International Airport]] in 2019]]
{{Original research section|date=July 2020}}

Dynamic exited bankruptcy, and with the rights held by Swift Air, renamed itself as ''Eastern Airlines'' in April 2018. The company adopted plans similar to the prior [[Eastern Air Lines (2015)|Eastern Air Lines Group]]. The airline's viability was to be based on route selection, mostly secondary locations in South America and China. But while the destinations were under-served, there may not have been enough demand to be profitable. The company applied for four non-stop routes, three international, from its proposed JFK New York hub. It assembled a fleet of eight Boeing 767s and used them to furnish charter services in North America and Europe. With the [[Boeing 737 MAX groundings]], Eastern provided charters for [[Sunwing Airlines]].<ref name="awmag"/>

On September 1, 2019, the company moved into its new Systems Operations Control center in [[Wayne, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/triad-charter-airline-service-moving-headquarters-to-pennsylvania-cutting-50-jobs/83-6a99573b-2ea0-4264-b7d9-a2fbcd66ab30|title=Triad Charter Airline Service Moving Headquarters to Pennsylvania, Cutting 50 Jobs|website=WFMY|date=30 May 2019 |access-date=2019-07-31}}</ref><ref name="awmag"/> At the end of the month, Eastern joined the [[Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom)|British Civil Aviation Authority]] in the largest-ever peacetime repatriation of British citizens after the [[Thomas Cook Group#2019: Final year and collapse|collapse of Thomas Cook Airlines]], operating flights to bring stranded overseas holidaymakers back to the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thomascook.caa.co.uk/customers/if-you-are-currently-abroad/guidance-by-destination/spain/reus-reu/27-september/|title=Thomas Cook has ceased trading &#124; UK Civil Aviation Authority}}</ref>

On January 12, 2020, Eastern Airlines completed its inaugural flight to New York from [[Guayaquil]], [[Ecuador]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lastoe|first1=Stacey|title=The return of the legendary US airline you've probably never heard of|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/eastern-airlines-returns/index.html|access-date=July 6, 2020|work=CNN|date=January 21, 2020|language=en}}</ref> By May 2020, Eastern planned to purchase several Boeing 767s, with at least five used 777-200s.<ref name="awmag"/> On September 1, 2021, Eastern Airlines announced the creation of a new cargo subsidiary named ''Eastern Air Cargo'' and the addition of 35 [[Boeing 777 Freighter]]s to their fleet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flyingmag.com/story/news/eastern-airlines-freighter-light-cargo-aircraft/|title=Eastern Airlines enters air cargo market with 'freighter-light' model|author=Eric Kulisch|website=Flyingmag.com|date=3 September 2021 |access-date=September 3, 2021}}</ref><ref name="cargo fleet">{{cite web|url=https://www.aviacionline.com/2021/09/eastern-airlines-orders-35-boeing-777-conversions-and-dives-into-the-cargo-market/|title=Eastern Airlines orders 35 Boeing 777 conversions and dives into the cargo market|website=Aviacionline.com|date=September 2021 |access-date=September 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aircargonews.net/monthly-exclusive/eastern-airlines-converting-to-air-cargo/|title=Eastern Airlines: Converting to air cargo|website=Aircargonews.net|date=November 2021 |access-date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>

In May 2023, Eastern Airlines announced its plans to acquire charter airline [[Hillwood Airways]] to enter the luxury charter market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aviacionline.com/2023/05/eastern-airlines-acquires-hillwood-airways-expanding-operations-and-entering-luxury-charter-market/|title=Eastern Airlines Acquires Hillwood Airways: Expanding Operations and Entering Luxury Charter Market|website=Aviacionline.com|date=6 May 2023|access-date=May 6, 2023}}</ref> It was officially purchased on August 15, 2023, but Hillwood continued to operate under its existing brand<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/131162-uss-eastern-air-holdings-acquires-hillwood-airways|title=US's Eastern Air Holdings acquires Hillwood Airways|website=Ch-aviation.com|date=August 24, 2023}}</ref> until it was renamed as ''Eastern Air Express'' on November 13, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eastern Air Holdings, INC, acquires Hillwood Airways effective November 13, 2023. Now servicing customers and missions as Eastern Air Express! arrow |url=https://iflyea.com/ |website=Go Eastern}}</ref> The subsidiary plans to use its Boeing 737s, as indicated in the job vacancies on the website.

In July 2023, the [[New England Patriots]] filed a lawsuit against Eastern Airlines over an alleged breach of contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/patriots-file-22-million-lawsuit-against-airline-after-alleged-breach-of-contract-by-aviation-company/|title=Patriots file $22 million lawsuit against Eastern airlines.|website=cbssports.com|date=8 October 2023|access-date=Oct 8, 2023}}</ref> Eastern had been the operator of the team's two Boeing 767s since late 2020 until 2024.

In February 2024, Eastern announced that it had moved its headquarters from Pennsylvania to [[Kansas City, Missouri]], to be close to its cargo and overhaul presence at [[Kansas City International Airport]], and to create more jobs there.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kcur.org/news/2024-02-22/eastern-airlines-moved-its-headquarters-to-kansas-city-expecting-to-create-165-jobs|title=Eastern Airlines moved its headquarters to Kansas City, expecting to create 165 jobs|website=Kcur.org|first=Lucy | last=Valeski|date=February 22, 2024}}</ref>

==Ownership==
Until 2017, Dynamic Airways was owned as follows,<ref>[http://airlineinfo.com/ostpdf90/391.pdf Dynamic Airways application for scheduled service], May 12, 2014</ref>

# Kenneth M. Woolley (50%) - founder and chief information officer (and former CEO) of [[Extra Space Storage]]. Woolley also co-owns [[Swift Air]], another Part 121 carrier, in association with [[Swift Transportation]], and is the owner of KMW Leasing, an aircraft leasing firm.
# Paul Kraus (50%) - owner of Jet Midwest Group, an aircraft leasing firm.

After a successful bankruptcy restructuring in 2017, Dynamic Airways was owned by Olga Alauof (70%) and Woolley (30%).

==Destinations==
Since February 2024, Eastern Airlines does not operate scheduled flights after canceling its once-monthly Miami to Santo Domingo route.<ref name="official">{{Cite web|title=EASTERN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS SEASONAL SERVICE TO SANTO DOMINGO.|url=https://iflyea.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240813223256/https://iflyea.com/|archive-date=August 13, 2024|website=Go Eastern}}</ref>

{|class="sortable wikitable
!Country
!City
!Airport
!Notes
!class=unsortable|Refs
|-
|{{DOM}}||[[Santo Domingo]]||[[Las Américas International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||<ref name="official"/>
|-
|{{ECU}}||[[Guayaquil]]||[[José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|{{GUY}}||[[Georgetown, Guyana|Georgetown]]||[[Cheddi Jagan International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2021/06/16/news/guyana/eastern-airlines-ends-scheduled-services-to-guyana/|title=Eastern Airlines ends scheduled services to Guyana|website=stabroeknews.com|access-date=June 14, 2021}}</ref>
|-
|{{NIC}}||[[Managua]]||[[Augusto C. Sandino International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|{{PAR}}||[[Asunción]]||[[Silvio Pettirossi International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aviacionline.com/2022/07/eastern-airlines-cancels-flight-resumption-to-asuncion/|title=Eastern Airlines cancels flight resumption to Asunción|website=Aviacionline.com|date=13 July 2022 |access-date=July 13, 2022}}</ref>
|-
|rowspan=3|{{USA}}||[[Boston]]||[[Logan International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|[[Miami]]||[[Miami International Airport]]||{{Terminated|[[Airline hub|Hub]]<br>Terminated}}||
|-
|[[New York City]]||[[John F. Kennedy International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||
|-
|{{URU}}||[[Montevideo]]||[[Carrasco International Airport]]||{{Terminated}}||<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aviacionline.com/2021/12/eastern-airlines-cancels-flights-between-miami-and-montevideo/|title=Eastern Airlines cancels flights between Miami and Montevideo|website=Aviacionline.com|date=31 December 2021 |access-date=December 31, 2021}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Fleet==
===Current===
As of March 2024, the Eastern Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft:{{Cn|date=October 2024}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ Eastern Airlines fleet
|-
!rowspan=2|Aircraft
!rowspan=2|In service
!rowspan=2|Orders
!colspan=3|Passengers
!rowspan=2|Notes
|-
!<abbr title=Premium>W</abbr>
!<abbr title=Economy>Y</abbr>
!Total
|-
|[[Boeing 767-300ER]]
|4
|&mdash;
|30
|212
|242
|
|-
|[[Boeing 777-200ER]]
|8
|&mdash;
|&ndash;
|380
|380
|
|-
!Total
!6
!&mdash;
!colspan=5|
|}

===Former===
As Dynamic Airways, the airline formerly operated the following aircraft:{{Cn|date=October 2024}}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
|+ Eastern Airlines former fleet
|-
!Aircraft
!Total
!Introduced
!Retired
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 767-200]]
|4
|2011
|2024
|
|-
|[[Boeing 767-200ER]]
|5
|2011
|2023
|
|-
|[[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-200ER/BDSF]]
|2
|2014
|2016
|Operated for [[21 Air]]
|-
|[[Boeing 777-300ER]]
|2
|2022
|2023
|Never entered into service
|-
|[[McDonnell Douglas MD-88]]
|2
|2010
|2012
|
|}

==Accidents and incidents==
*On October 29, 2015, [[Dynamic Airways Flight 405]], a [[Boeing 767-200ER]] (registered N251MY), was taxiing at [[Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport]] when its #1 engine caught on fire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsvn.com/story/30385071/plane-catches-on-fire-at-fll|title=BSO: 24 hurt after plane catches fire at FLL|date=29 October 2015|work=wsvn.com|access-date=30 October 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151030134314/http://www.wsvn.com/story/30385071/plane-catches-on-fire-at-fll|archive-date=30 October 2015}}</ref> Fire crews were dispatched to the scene and all 101 passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the aircraft. 17 passengers and 5 crew members were reported as sustaining injuries. Aircraft operations were briefly suspended at the airport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20151029-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref>

*On July 15, 2020, a [[Boeing 767-300ER]] (registered N706KW), from [[New York City]] to [[Georgetown, Guyana]], taxied off the taxiway at [[Cheddi Jagan International Airport]] upon landing, after it vacated Runway 24.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/238197|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=July 16, 2020}}</ref> Almost immediately after turning onto Taxiway Charlie, the aircraft’s right main landing gear rolled off the pavement and became stuck in the grass. All 201 passengers and 10 crew members were safely evacuated from the aircraft with no injuries.

==See also==
*[[Eastern Air Lines]]
*[[Eastern Air Lines (2015)]]
*[[List of airlines of the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commonscat-inline}}
*{{Official website|https://iflyea.com/}}

{{Portal bar|United States|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Eastern Airlines, LLC}}
{{Airlines of the United States|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:2010 establishments in North Carolina]]
[[Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 2010]]
[[Category:Airlines based in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Eastern Air Lines]]
[[Category:Charter airlines of the United States]]