Who you might be asking? Astraeus Airlines was an airline that did a lot of wet-leasing and chartering of it’s aircraft to companies that needed extra capacity (BMI Veterans would recognise this when they were flying Boeing 757’s for BMI on routes).
Additionally, they’ve flown for British Airways, Iceland Express, Thomson Airways, Thomas Cook and Iron Maiden where they flew a 757 Combi in Ed Force 1 paintwork
However, it seems the economic environment has caused it to fold, and the airline placed with the administrators according to a post on Airliners.net
It seems the lack of winter contacts and a weak summer has forced Astraeus’s owners to pull the plug on the airline… thus ending this little airline’s time.
Thus closes another little slice of British aviation. A shame, but a sign of the tough times we’re all in today.
Hope that Bruce Dickinson finds a new airline. Just in case no one knew, he’s Iron Maiden’s lead singer and is a pilot for Astraeus. He flew the band around the world on Astraeus on a recent tour
Agreed Dennis.
Lets hope all at Astraeus can find something.
I have some more notes of when Ed Force One took the air last time ( http://economyclassandbeyond.boardingarea.com/2011/02/19/airplane-p0rn-extra-ed-force-1-retakes-to-the-air/ ), and they did an impressive job.
Good luck to all of them affected.