Aurigny Air Services (GR, Guernsey) has been cleared by the States of Guernsey to sell its only jet aircraft, an E195, and lease two additional ATR72-600s in its place. The transactions are expected to be completed by mid-2024.
The local government of Guernsey, a UK Crown Dependency that owns the airline, concurred that the fleet simplification was an important step to improve the carrier's operational reliability and financial performance.
"This project marks the beginning of a significant push towards running a more cost-effective and efficient airline, which will inevitably have a positive impact on the overall experience of our customers," CEO Nico Bezuidenhout said.
The airline added the E195, G-NSEY (msn 19000671), in 2014, acquiring it directly from the manufacturer. The 9.4-year-old aircraft can carry up to 122 passengers in a single-class layout. It is currently used exclusively on the carrier's trunk route between Guernsey and London Gatwick.
Bezuidenhout stressed that by adding two ATR72-600s instead of the single regional jet, the total capacity of the airline will remain the same. Aurigny Air Services will also avoid any layoffs related to the transition. The carrier currently operates three ATR72-600s, the ch-aviation fleets module shows.
"We plan to have more daily flights to London, going from the current six to nine. We will also have the flexibility to run regular flights to Paris, Manchester International, and Dublin International and continue serving a range of popular European destinations. Many of these destinations are within the ideal range of an ATR72, but should a jet aircraft be more appropriate, we still have the option to charter one whenever needed," Bezuidenhout explained.
The CEO recently told ch-aviation that Aurigny Air Services was also planning to retire its two Do228-212(NG)s to transition to a single-type fleet of ATR72-600s. The two 19-seaters will be replaced with another ATR.
