Emerald Airlines, Ireland’s newest regional airline today announced an agreement with Chorus Aviation Capital (CAC), for the delivery of six ATR72-600 aircraft. The first aircraft will join the airline later this month, with the remaining aircraft expected for delivery over the next 12 months.

The ATR72-600 is the latest generation of turboprop aircraft combining environmental and economic performance, offering greater comfort and a unique passenger experience. The new aircraft will be configured with 72 new-generation seats with a 31-inch seat pitch and fitted with the latest Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M engines.

The ATR72-600 aircraft has a significant environmental advantage over regional jets and other turboprop aircraft emitting 40% less CO2 on short, regional flights.

Commenting on the announcement, Conor McCarthy, Founder and Chief Executive of Emerald Airlines 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.

ATRs have proven themselves in tough environments featuring unrivalled performances, leading edge comfort and an unmatched reliability. These are the right aircraft for our passengers and our airline and will be a great asset to our company. Having reached agreement with Aer Lingus and now having confirmation on our first delivery of aircraft, we are ready to hit the ground running and look forward to what the future has in store.”

The new franchise agreement between Aer Lingus and Emerald Airlines will support Aer Lingus’s Dublin Hub strategy by providing connectivity from UK provincial airports to North America via Dublin. The agreement will offer connectivity between the island of Ireland and Regional Airports in UK, and beyond. Under the agreement, Emerald Airlines will operate ATR turboprop aircraft on the Aer Lingus regional routes with associated Aer Lingus branding and livery.

The new ATR aircraft will play a key role in restoring the vital regional connectivity across Ireland and the U.K. which was lost due to the devasting impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry. Today’s announcement between Emerald Airlines and Chorus Aviation Capital is a much-needed boost to the airline industry which is showing tentative signs of recovery due to the successful vaccination roll-out and the lifting of restrictions on international travel for non-essential reasons.

Steven Ridolfi, President of CAC added: “We extend a warm welcome to Emerald Airlines as a new customer to Chorus Aviation Capital. The Emerald management team has a wealth of experience in regional aviation, and we look forward to their success as an air service provider. We are honoured to be Emerald’s first choice as aircraft lessor.”