Airlink upgrades fleet
Airlink will acquire five Embraer E-Jets during the first half of this year – three E170s and two E190s. This follows the addition of 11 Embraer ERJ 140s to its fleet since December.
The airline is in the process of replacing its current fleet of 12 Avro RJ85s with the Embraers over the next three years. They will operate its more established routes and also allow Airlink to introduce new routes.
Rodger Foster, ceo of Airlink, told eTNW that, in the long term, the price of fuel would continue to increase. “We want more fuel-efficient aircraft to take over from where the less-fuel-efficient aircraft need to leave off.”
The E170 will seat 74 passengers and the E190 will seat 98.
Rodger says Airlink will require 13 E-Jets to complete its planned growth and modernisation strategy, and is in the process of sourcing the final eight E190s.
