Fleet expansion plans by Airlink will create big fuel savings for the SA-based privately-owned regional airline compared to the aircraft it currently operates.
Airlink announced at the Paris Air Show in France that it planned to lease 10 new Embraer E195-E2 twin-engine passenger aircraft from Azorra, a lease, finance and asset management firm based in Fort Lauderdale in the US.
Airlink has operated Embraer aircraft since 2001. The new 136 and 124-seat aircraft are expected to achieve fuel savings of up to 29% compared to the earlier-generation E195s Airlink currently operates. Airlink said in a statement this will enhance its economic efficiencies and reduce emissions across its schedule and network, which covers 45 destinations in 15 countries, including St Helena Island in the South Atlantic and Madagascar.
The deal is expected to be finalised soon. The new aircraft will augment Airlink’s current fleet of 68 aircraft. Airlink is one of the largest airlines in Africa in terms of fleet. Deliveries of the planes from Embraer’s facilities in Brazil are expected later this year until 2027.
The new planes have on average, 33% more seats than Airlink’s current aircraft, enabling the airline to achieve lower unit costs on high-demand routes. The additional range offered by the new planes will also let Airlink expand its network to new destinations in sub-Sahara Africa, according to the statement. Additionally, savings are expected from the high degree of operating, maintenance, training and equipment commonality between the existing E-Jets and the new E2s.
“The E195-E2 will bolster our business, helping us to be even more competitive on key routes,” commented Airlink CEO De Villiers Engelbrecht.
Although Airlink did not disclose the monetary value of the deal, recently announced orders by other airlines indicate an average price of a new Embraer E195-E2 is about $80m a piece, depending on the cabin and other equipment specification.
Qatar Airways, which averages more than 44,000 seats per week on its flights in Africa, recently invested in a 25% stake in Airlink.
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