Eastern Air Express

{{Infobox airline

| airline = Eastern Air Express

| image = Eastern Airlines logo new.svg

| image_size =

| IATA = -

| ICAO = BBQ

| callsign = EASTERN EXPRESS

| founded = {{Start date and age|2013}}
(as ATX Air Services)

| commenced = {{Start date and age|2017|07}}
(as Hillwood Airways)
{{Start date and age|2023|11|13|br=y}}
(as Eastern Air Express)

| ceased =

| aoc = 4TXA995N

| bases = {{unbulleted list

|San Antonio

|Kansas City

|Miami

}}

| focus_cities =

| alliance =

| subsidiaries =

| fleet_size = 14

| destinations =

| parent = {{nowrap|Eastern Air Holdings Inc.{{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}} }}

| headquarters = Kansas City, Missouri

| key_people = {{Plainlist}}

Jeffrey Conry (CEO)
Brian Randow (COO)

| website = {{URL|goeasternair.com}}

}}

Eastern Air Express (formerly Hillwood Airways and ATX Air Services){{Cite news|last=Shine|first=Conor|date=2017-08-15|title=See Dallas-Fort Worth's new high-end charter airline from billionaire Ross Perot Jr.|language=en|work=The Dallas Morning News|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2017/08/15/see-dallas-fort-worth-s-new-high-end-charter-airline-from-billionaire-ross-perot-jr/ |access-date=2022-08-29}}{{Cite web|date=2016-08-01|title=ATX Air Services rebrands as Hillwood Airways|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/48178-atx-air-services-rebrands-as-hillwood-airways|url-access=subscription|access-date=2022-08-29|website=ch-aviation|language=en}} is an American charter airline headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. It was formerly a subsidiary of The Perot Group, which is controlled by Ross Perot, Jr.

History

File:Hillwood Airways logo.svg

The airline was initially founded in 2013 as ATX Air Services and operated under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 125 certificate, limiting the airline to only flying under long-term agreements with a few clients.

ATX Air Services rebranded as Hillwood Airways in 2016, received its FAA Part 121 Air Carrier Certification on July 24, 2017, and subsequently started charter operations.{{Cite web|date=2017-07-24|title=HILLWOOD Airways Earns Coveted Part 121 Air Carrier Certification|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170724005820/en/HILLWOOD-Airways-Earns-Coveted-Part-121-Air-Carrier-Certification|access-date=2022-01-13|website=www.businesswire.com|language=en}}

The airline commenced operations with a single Boeing 737-700C BBJ and currently offers it for charter in four configurations: 36 first-class seats with two conference tables, 60 first-class seats, 90 premium economy seats or as a full freighter. It is one of only a few Boeing 737 BBJs fitted with a full-size main-deck cargo door.{{Cite web|title=Fleet|url=https://www.hillwoodairways.com/fleet/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113011234/https://www.hillwoodairways.com/fleet/|archive-date=2022-01-13|access-date=2022-01-13|website=Hillwood Airways|language=en-US}}

Between 2019 and 2021 the airline took delivery of three regular Boeing 737-700s that were originally delivered to Airtran Airways and ConocoPhillips Alaska.{{Cn|date=December 2024}} The three regulars 737-700s are available for charter in all-passenger configurations ranging from 60 first class to 100 premium economy seats.

One of the airline's Boeing 737-700s was involved in the 2021 Kabul airlift.{{Cite web|title=HWA228 Hillwood Airways Flight Tracking and History 18-Aug-2021|url=https://flightaware.com/live/flight/HWA228/history/20210817/2308Z/UTDD/L+37.13560+69.14843|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220914154039/https://flightaware.com/live/flight/HWA228/history/20210817/2308Z/UTDD/L+37.13560+69.14843|archive-date=2022-09-14|access-date=2022-09-14|website=FlightAware|language=en}}

In May 2023, Eastern Air Holdings, owner of Eastern Airlines, announced its plans to acquire Hillwood Airways.{{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=May 6, 2023 |access-date=May 6, 2023}} The airline was officially purchased on August 15, 2023, and continues to operate under its existing brand. The company announced on November 13, 2023, its rebrand as Eastern Air Express.{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/133576-uss-hillwood-airways-to-rebrand-as-eastern-air-express|title=US's Hillwood Airways to rebrand as Eastern Air Express\access-date=December 22, 2023}}

In February 2024, Eastern Air Holdings selected Kansas City, Missouri as its new headquarters.{{cite web|url=https://ded.mo.gov/press-room/eastern-airlines-selects-kansas-city-new-headquarters-investing-more-47-million-and|title=EASTERN AIRLINES SELECTS KANSAS CITY FOR NEW HEADQUARTERS, INVESTING MORE THAN $4.7 MILLION AND CREATING 165 NEW JOBS|access-date=February 21, 2024}}

In April 2024, Eastern Air Holdings acquired the aircraft and other assets of iAero Airways.{{cite web|url= https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/138710-uss-iaero-airways-to-cease-ops-after-no-buyer-found|title=US's iAero Airways to cease ops after no buyer found|website=Ch-aviation.com|author=Andrew Curran|date=April 4, 2024}}

As of at least February 2025, Eastern Air Express has been contracted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate deportation flights of undocumented immigrants.{{cite web|url= https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2025-02-12/at-least-40-ice-detainees-transferred-to-border-states-in-overnight-flights|title= At least 40 ICE detainees transferred to border states in overnight flight|date=February 12, 2025}}

Fleet

=Current=

File:Hillwood Airways, N737AT, Boeing 737-7HJ(BBJ) (49601345618).jpg, Estonia in 2019.]]

The Eastern Air Express fleet includes the following aircraft (as of May 2025):

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center" \|+ Eastern Air Express fleet
rowspan=2\|Aircraft !rowspan=2\|In service !rowspan=2\|Orders !colspan=3\|Passengers !rowspan=2\|Notes
F !Y !Total
Boeing 737-300 \|2 \|4 \|– \|148 \|148 \|
Boeing 737-300BDSF \|1 \|— \|colspan=3\|Cargo \|
Boeing 737-400 \|7 \|4 \|12 \|138 \|150 \|
Boeing 737-700 \|3 \|— \|– \|148 \|148 \|
Boeing 737-800 \|1{{cite web\|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/142947-uss-eastern-air-express-adds-maiden-b737-800\|title=US’s Eastern Air Express adds maiden B737-800\|website=Ch-aviation.com\|author=Daniel Martinez Garbuno\|date=July 24, 2024}} \|1 \|– \|189 \|189 \|
Total !14 !9 !colspan=4\|

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"

|+ Eastern Air Express fleet

rowspan=2|Aircraft

!rowspan=2|In
service

!rowspan=2|Orders

!colspan=3|Passengers

!rowspan=2|Notes

!Total

Boeing 737-300

|–

|148

Boeing 737-300BDSF

|—

|colspan=3|Cargo

Boeing 737-400

|12

|138

|150

Boeing 737-700

|—

|–

|148

Boeing 737-800

|1{{cite web|url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/142947-uss-eastern-air-express-adds-maiden-b737-800|title=US’s Eastern Air Express adds maiden B737-800|website=Ch-aviation.com|author=Daniel Martinez Garbuno|date=July 24, 2024}}

|–

|189

Total

!14

!colspan=4|

=Former=

Eastern Air Express formerly operated the following aircraft:{{Cn|date=December 2024}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"
Aircraft !Total !Introduced !Retired !Notes
Boeing 737-700C/BBJ \|1 \|2017 \|2024 \|Configured for both cargo-only and passenger operations.

class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto; text-align:center"

Aircraft

!Total

!Introduced

!Retired

!Notes

Boeing 737-700C/BBJ

|2017

|2024

|Configured for both cargo-only and passenger operations.