UK regional airline, Eastern Airways, has signed a new ground handling contract with Aviance to handle its scheduled services from Manchester Airport. Aviance will look after the ground handling requirements for the airline’s three times a day weekday service to London Stansted from Manchester’s Terminal 3 from 6 October 2008.

Once Eastern Airways’ flights arrive at Manchester, Aviance will be responsible for passenger care at check-in, customer services and gate boarding, as well as baggage handling, ramp operation and aircraft de-icing.

Roger Hage, Eastern Airways’ ground services manager, said: “The appointment of Aviance to handle our flights at Manchester will provide greater consistency and continuity for customers, as they also look after our handling requirements at Stansted. We have been very pleased how Aviance have looked after our Manchester passengers at Stansted and know they will deliver the high level of service and customer care that our customers are used to.”

Eastern Airways, which was recently named the UK’s most punctual scheduled airline, introduced a high frequency service between Manchester and Stansted last October with timings specifically aimed at business travellers heading to Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

Keith Nicholls, commercial director aviance UK said: "We are delighted to extend our partnership with Eastern Airways. We welcome the addition of Manchester to our portfolio as we currently work with the airline at Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted. We share the same values in terms of customer service and delivery and look forward to working together."

Aviance has been offering a ground handling service at Manchester Airport since 2001.