Eastern Airways (T3, Humberside), legally incorporated as Air Kilroe Limited, has reportedly approached the UK courts to seek protection from creditors amid a slew of cancelled flights, filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators for trading entities Eastern Airways (UK) and Air Kilroe, the East Midlands digital news site TheBusinessDesk reported.

The legal document gives the company protection from creditors for ten business days while it seeks an alternative to liquidation.

The airline cancelled all flights on October 27, 2025, affecting its routes between Aberdeen Dyce and Humberside, Wick, and Teesside, and between London Gatwick and Newquay.

According to TheBusinessDesk, accounts for the two entities showed that they employed around 250 people and generated a combined turnover of GBP60 million pounds (USD80 million) in 2024. They reportedly posted a net loss of GBP19.7 million (USD26 million) that year, with total debt of GBP26 million (USD35 million).

The last available annual reports for the year ended on March 31, 2024, show that the combined revenues of the two firms stood at GBP66.7 million (USD88.9 million). They had a combined net profit of around GBP200,000 (USD266,000) in those 12 months.

Eastern Airways did not immediately respond to a request from ch-aviation for comment on the matter.

ch-aviation data shows that the airline nominally operates three ATR42-600s, four E190s, one E170, and nine BAe Jetstream 41s. According to Flightradar24 ADS-B data, one of the E190s, G-CLSN (msn 19000130), was ferried from Humberside to Saarbrücken on October 27. Two of the remaining three units have been parked at Norwich International since mid-October, along with G-CLYU (msn 19000310) which has been parked there since August 5. Two E190s are owned by TrueNoord, one by Falko Regional Aircraft, and one by an undisclosed lessor.

The four E190s were previously wet-leased to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, although the Dutch carrier told ch-aviation in July 2025 that it aimed to reduce its reliance on wet-leases and possibly eliminate them completely in 2026.

ADS-B data shows that all three ATR72-600s, G-CMFI (msn 1312), G-IACY (msn 1448), and G-IACZ (msn 1482), were ferried from Humberside to Dinard/St. Malo between September 24 and October 17. All three are owned by DAE Capital.

Of the carrier's nine Jetstream 41s, only four are currently operating, with the remaining units parked at Humberside. The 41s have previously been deployed on Eastern Airways' Public Service Obligation (PSO) contracts, including its service between Wick and Aberdeen, which it was re-awarded in March 2025.

The airline's Newquay-Gatwick route was subsidised under a PSO contract. It was normally operated with an ATR72-600, but once G-IACZ was ferried out to Dinard, the final flights on October 25 were operated with E190 G-CLSN until it was ferried to Saarbrücken. ch-aviation understands the Cornwall Council is now urgently seeking a replacement operator.

Eastern Airways operates a network linking seven airports in the United Kingdom, including London Gatwick, Newquay, Aberdeen Dyce, Teeside, Humberside, London Southend, and Wick.