Conor McCarthy’s fledgling Emerald Airlines has signed an agreement with Chorus Aviation Capital (CAC) to lease six aircraft.
The first of the ATR 72-600 aircraft will be delivered this month with the remainder delivered over the following six months.
On 4 August, Emerald Airlines signed a 10-year agreement to operate Aer Lingus Regional services starting in January 2023.
Emerald CEO Conor McCarthy said, “We couldn’t be happier with our partnership with Chorus Aviation Capital and look forward to taking delivery of our first six ATR72-600s.
“The ATR72 is an essential part of our strategy to offer high frequency, convenient, and affordable air travel across Ireland and the U.K..”
Steven Ridolfi, president of CAC, added: “The Emerald management team has a wealth of experience in regional aviation, and we look forward to their success as the air service provider to Aer Lingus.”
“We are honoured to be Emerald’s first choice as aircraft lessor.”
Stobart Collapse
Aer Lingus Regional services had been operated by Stobart Air, who unexpectedly collapsed in June 2021 with 18 months still to run on their contract.
Last November, Emerald Airlines had been announced as the preferred bidder to take over once Stobart’s contract came to an end.
Aer Lingus worked quickly to plan a replacement schedule following Stobart’s collapse.
With Emerald not due to start until the beginning of 2023, Aer Lingus has committed to operating six regional routes until at least March 2022, but is “working closely” with Emerald Air to see if the start date can be brought forward.
