Guernsey based Aurigny is set to sell its sole Embraer E195 regional jet, used on its Guernsey to Gatwick service, and replace it with two leased ATR72s.
The airline says the change will result in fewer disruptions and a more streamlined service particularly when crew disruption takes place as it will have more pilots and cabin crew capable of standing in at short notice.
ATR72-600 aircraft will also provide Aurigny with a 36% fuel reduction per passenger on the route between Gatwick and Guernsey compared to the Embraer E195 jet but will reduce the available capacity on the route from 122 seats to 72 per flight.
The additional flexibility of replacing one aircraft with two also gives Aurigny the ability to operate more daily flights to London as well as regular services to destinations such as Paris, Manchester and Dublin.
Aurigny’s CEO, Nico Bezuidenhout said: “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.
“This is an exciting time for Aurigny, and we are all looking forward to seeing the benefits this will bring.”
The sale of the jet has been approved by the States of Guernsey which owns the airline.
Aurigny will be offering Guernsey to Liverpool for the first time in 2024. 3 per week.