Italy's Sky Alps secures first Q400s on lease

SkyAlps (BQ, Bolzano/Bozen) has announced it will lease its first two DHC-8-Q400s from Chorus Aviation Capital with deliveries expected in April and May 2021.

"Sky Alps is very pleased to have selected Chorus Aviation Capital as our aircraft supplier for the initial launch of services from our South Tyrol base in Bolzano/Bozen with two Dash 8-Q400s on long-term operating leases," founder and president of the start-up, Josef Gostner, said.

The lessor revealed the aircraft will be G-ECOK (msn 4230) and G-ECOO (msn 4237), 12.6- and 12.4-year-old turboprops. Both were previously operated by flybe. (2002) (Exeter) and were returned following the British carrier's collapse in early March 2020. They are currently stored at North Bay and Halifax, respectively.

"The successful remarketing of these aircraft, which were repossessed by CAC in 2020 and underwent extensive reconfiguration and return-to-service work performed by Voyageur Airways and Jazz Technical Services, is a testament to Chorus' broad ability to find opportunities and execute on comprehensive solutions to remarket our aircraft in the midst of one of the most challenging periods in aviation history," the lessor's president and chief executive, Joe Randall, said.

According to the ch-aviation fleets ownership module, Chorus Aviation Capital owns five ex-flybe.'s Q400s, including the two units now leased to Sky Alps. The other three remain available for lease. In total, the lessor owns thirty-one DHC-8-Q400s. Parent company Chorus Aviation owns a further 34 turboprops of the type, all operated by the holding's subsidiary Jazz Air under a regional contract with Air Canada.

Following several COVID-caused delays, Sky Alps hopes to launch in late May 2021. It will be the only airline serving Bolzano, the capital of the majority German-speaking Italian province of South Tyrol. The start-up does not hold an Air Operator's Certificate. Previously, it indicated it would operate under the AOC of Luxwing. It did not respond to ch-aviation's request for confirmation that this plan still holds.