It operated to major regional city-centres and connected these centres to various state capitals, and by the 1980s it was Australia's third largest domestic airline.

Initially, using single-engine de Havilland Tiger Moth aircraft, East-West established Australia's first regular mail delivery service between Tamworth, Port Maquarie and Newcastle.

East-West acquired several Douglas DC-3s starting in 1953 and these 28-seat aircraft steadily replaced the smaller Avro Ansons in operating scheduled services throughout New South Wales.

[5] It grew in the following years from an intrastate operator to Australia's third largest domestic carrier which owned by 1982 ten Fokker aircraft.

The take over was deemed controversial, as discussions queried how far the involvement of Nauruan capital constituted a quasi foreign takeover.

Managing Director Bryan Grey along with marketing consultant John Williams created a massive nationwide media campaign and thus attracted many first-time flyers with what could be described as Australia's first truly discounted fares in a now deregulated arena.

In December 1983 East-West was sold, for A$20 to 30 million according to estimates, to Perth based Skywest Airlines owned by Ric Stowe.

[9][15] Former owner Bryan Grey formed Compass Airlines in 1990 as first entrant into a then-deregulated domestic aviation market.

The maintenance facility at Tamworth Airport was converted to a bus body factory by fellow Ansett subsidiary Ansair in 1993.