Andrew Doyle/LONDON
US REGIONAL OPERATOR Business Express is to hand back all three of its Avro International Aerospace RJ70s to the leasing company, casting doubts over the future of its remaining nine firm orders and eight options for the type.
The first of the three aircraft, which are to be re-delivered to Air Baltic, will be returned this month, followed by the others in April.
Avro confirms that the Trident Jet Leasing-owned aircraft are being transferred to the Latvian flag carrier on long-term leases, and says that it "...will be making a further statement about Business Express in the near future".
It adds that the Delta Connection carrier's remaining commitments for the type are "subject to negotiation". Business Express is to date the only US customer for the Avroliner.
Gary Ellmer, chairman and chief operating officer at Business Express, says that the airline decided to return its RJ70s because of the "...extremely seasonal, complex, type of business we run, although the aircraft has done well for us".
Air Baltic, a joint venture between Latvia, Baltic International USA, Scandinavian Airlines System and Swedish and Danish investment funds, also evaluated the Fokker 70, McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and MD-80 and Boeing 737-200 before opting for RJ70s.
On 31 December, the carrier returned two Boeing 727s wet-leased from Baltic International USA, and began operating a British Aerospace 146-200 leased from Manx Airlines, on 1 January. This will be returned at the end of March.
The airline will operate its RJ70s between Riga and Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London and Stockholm.
Source: Flight International
