Contour Aviation (LF, Smyrna) has taken delivery of its first E140, deploying it into revenue service starting on November 1, 2022.
N801AE (msn 145469) is a 21.2-year-old jet formerly in service with Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines. It was retired by the regional operator in April 2020 and has since been stored at Abilene Regional. It was ferried for pre-redelivery maintenance to New Iberia on June 17, 2022, and subsequently delivered to Contour Aviation at Phoenix Williams Gateway on July 21, 2022, ADS-B data shows. It entered revenue service on November 1 and currently operates the scheduled AEAS route from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Page on behalf of the carrier's parent, Contour Airlines, which does not have a separate AOC. The ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows it is leased from Regional One.
The aircraft joined Contour Aviation's fleet of four CRJ200s (including two operated on behalf of Fly Blade), ten E135s, and three E145s, as well as two business jets: one Challenger 800 (CRJ100) and one Legacy 600. The airline deploys all of its Embraer regional jets in a 30-seat configuration due to the limitations of its FAA Part 135 certificate.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Executive Matt Chaifetz told ch-aviation that the carrier was planning to expand its fleet as it saw substantial demand for regional connectivity in the US. The carrier is among the largest AEAS/EAS operators in the US and supplements these subsidised scheduled services with charter operations.
