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After 10 years of operating a single Embraer E195, Channel Islands-based regional airline Aurigny Air Services has sold the aircraft to Florida-based lessor Azorra as it seeks to consolidate its fleet around ATR 72 operations.
Aurigny originally acquired the sole E195 to add capacity on its London Gatwick route, after the withdrawal of now-defunct UK regional carrier Flybe.
However, seven months ago, Aurigny CEO Nico Bezuidenhout announced plans to dispose of the aircraft and lessor Azorra has now been named as the buyer.
“The Embraer E195 is a very good aircraft,” Bezuidenhout said July 15. “Fleet simplification is, however, a key ingredient to improving the sustainability and resilience of Guernsey’s air connectivity, and as such, the decision to exit the Embraer from Aurigny’s fleet.”
Aurigny’s fleet comprises three ATR 72s and two Dornier 228s. When Bezuidenhout originally announced the disposal, he detailed plans to replace the E195 with two additional leased ATR 72s. Bezuidenhout said this would cut operating costs and help with crewing, aircraft swaps, maintenance and spare parts availability, creating greater schedule stability.
The deal with Azorra is notable because the lessor specializes in helping airlines with fleet transitions. “We consider ourselves, I would say, a bit of an alternative lessor,” Azorra founder and CEO John Evans said earlier this year, “a lessor that focuses on opportunities that may not fit others.”
During the March 2024 interview, Evans recalled Azorra’s speculative deal in 2023 to acquire and remarket 12 ex-EgyptAir Airbus A220s. He said this was an “unusual” four-way transaction between Airbus, Azorra, EgyptAir, and Pratt & Whitney.
“Those were new-technology aircraft, operating in a very difficult environment. They never really seemed to be a great fit,” Evans said. “We were willing to take a speculative risk on the aircraft. There were numerous lessors that were interested in buying the aircraft, subject to lease placements. We were willing to buy them and rely on our own ability to transition the aircraft, without any conditionality around placements on lease.”
Regarding the Aurigny deal, Azorra said it was acquiring the aircraft “to support the airline’s fleet transformation process,” and to respond to “high demand” from customers for the E-Jet variant.
An Azorra spokesperson said there was “no news” on whether Azorra will supply Aurigny with the two leased ATRs. Aurigny did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In the March interview, Evans indicated Azorra may look to exercise some A220 or E2 purchase rights during the upcoming Farnborough Airshow.
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