Aurigny Air Services (GR, Guernsey) has wet-leased an ATR72-500 from Swiftair (WT, Madrid Barajas) to compensate for the ongoing delays in the delivery of its fifth in-house, dry-leased ATR72-600.
EC-KKQ (msn 763) was ferried from Madrid Barajas to Guernsey on August 27 and operated its first revenue flight to Nottingham East Midlands on the same day, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. Aurigny said the wet lease would continue through mid-October when its new ATR72-600 is due.
Aurigny took its fourth in-house ATR72-600 this month, with the second now expected only in mid-October. Originally, both aircraft were scheduled for delivery by July 2024.
The reduced availability of ATR - Avions de Transport Régional aircraft delayed the planned retirement of the airline's only jet, an E195, which ultimately exited at the end of May 2024.
The Guernsey government-owned airline has been struggling operationally since early 2024 due to a mix of maintenance and delivery delays affecting its fleet. This forced it to resort to various short- and medium-term wet leases. Those did not prevent some cancellations, which prompted the ongoing government review of its operations.
The audit, which will be conducted with the aid of an external consultancy, will analyse whether the plan to exit the E195 and add more ATR72-600s was well-designed and "how well-equipped the airline will be going forward to deliver the island's lifeline air connectivity", States' Trading Supervisory Board (STSB) President Peter Roffey explained to the BBC.
Aurigny Air Services also operates two Do228-212(NG)s for its local routes to Alderney and Southampton.
