Plane firm 'confident' parts shortage will ease

Aurigny currently operates five ATR 72s in the Channel Islands

A shortage of spare parts for ATR aircraft should ease next year, according to the plane's manufacturer.

Aurigny currently operates a fleet of four ATR 72 aircraft with another expected to arrive in Guernsey later this year.

The airline has been subject to disruption throughout the year, which has been blamed in part on a lack of spare parts, caused by issues with the supply chain as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

ATR's chief commercial director Alexis Vidal said the global supply chain for parts was still "lagging behind", but he was "optimistic the situation would improve".

Mr Vidal said 2024 has been "an interesting year" for his company and "the market was still recovering from the pandemic".

He admitted ATR had "globally had difficulties being as reactive as we would like to, sourcing parts".

He said: "The entire aviation sector has been impacted by the supply chain, which has had to ramp up since the pandemic.

"We have to be ambitious and realistic at the same time".

Aurigny review published next week

Following a year of disruption a review of the States-owned airline was comissioned by the States Trading Supervisory Board (STSB), costing the States £65,000.

The report is set to be published next week.

It's being done by two former British Airways staff and will look at the makeup of the airline's fleet and decisions made by the company throughout the year.

Earlier this year Aurigny sold its Embraer jet, as it moved towards a fleet of ATR aircraft.

The company does use Dorniers on its route to Alderney, but the airline's intention is to use ATRs on that route once the island's airport is extended.

However that project is currently on hold after politicians labelled it "unaffordable".

'Hybrid planes'

ATR has started development of a hybrid electric aircraft which it hopes will be certified after 2030.

"It's called EVO and we believe this is the next step for aviation development and regional is where that development will start", Mr Vidal said.

He added the current fleet of ATR 72s operated by the airline are extremely fuel efficient.

He said: "Our aircraft delivers the best economics and lowest fuel burn of any regional airplane on the market.

"For example, an ATR on a regional sector will basically emit 45% less CO2 than a regional jet of a similar size.

"It's also the most accessible aircrafts, when it comes to launching from short runways, as there often is in islands".