Guernsey airline Aurigny leases plane from UK carrier

Guernsey airline Aurigny has leased an aircraft from another carrier as one of its planes is put into annual maintenance.

The States-owned airline said it had temporarily leased one ATR-600 aircraft from UK-based Eastern Airways.

It arrived on the island on Thursday and was used for the Manchester route while Aurigny's G-OATR undergoes a service.

Aurigny said leasing aircraft was part of its plan to "simplify" its fleet.

"In such events, leasing an additional aircraft is a simple process and minimises disruption to Aurigny's schedule and our passengers," it said.

"We plan to use short-term wet-lease capacity to accommodate crew training and fleet changes as we standardise our aircraft type."

A typical wet lease arrangement means a plane is "ready to use" with crew, maintenance and insurance provided by the lessor airline.

In November 2023, Aurigny said it was selling its only jet and replacing it with two leased turboprop planes as part of a plan to cut losses.

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