The company took delivery of the 50-seater ATR 42 500, which is on short-term lease from Danish Air Transport, on Sunday – a move that Rob Veron, Blue Islands chief executive, said would improve the company’s ‘resilience’.
It is expected that the aircraft will be in operation until around the end of August or the beginning of September, when Blue Islands is scheduled to take ownership of a new 70-seater ATR 72 500, which will create an additional 60,000 seats per year.
Since the launch of a partnership with Flybe, Blue Islands have faced criticism from passengers – including members of the business community – about delays, technical faults and scheduling issues, as well as the high cost of the Jersey-to-Guernsey route.
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