Aurigny seeks to bring in three fog-beating aircraft

Tuesday 17 July 2018

A letter of intent from Aurigny to Toulouse based ATR has be published meaning that they are one step closer to purchasing or leasing three new aircraft equipped with the new ClearVision™ system.

The letter published on 13 July 2018 states the intent for the purchase of three ATR 72-600s, subject to the approval of the States of Guernsey. These three aircraft are expected to replace the current three ATR 72-500s operated by the airline.

The Letter of Intent is non-binding, but means Aurigny can take a business case to the States this autumn, which if approved could mean the new aircraft could take to the skies as soon as next year. The intent to purchase is also good for Guernsey as ATR would be using Aurigny as a launch partner for its new plane as the only one in operation at the moment is their prototype ATR, which was recently in the island carrying out test flights.

Each ATR 72 600 could potentially seat 78 passengers and would be the first of their kind with the ClearVision™ system allowing the pilots to see the runway via a headset, through enhanced vision cameras in the nose. During recent test flights to the island to carry out the test landings on the runway a spokesperson said they had visibility of the runway through the headset around a minute before the naked eye through the cockpit window.

Pictured: Eric De Le Salle, test pilot for ATR wearing the headset with ATR behind and inset how the pilot will see the runway in the fog through headset.

Guernsey is regularly affected by fog, often at short notice, leading to disruptions to flight operations. An ATR equipped with the ClearVision™ EVS addresses this pain point of the pilot’s limited visibility and could have saved 50% of the forbidden landings (24 of 48) in Guernsey, over the period of a year. Aurigny anticipates that this innovation will deliver significant savings in their future operations.

Aurigny's Chief Executive Officer, Mark Darby, said: “Once we have the approval from the States of Guernsey to proceed, the entry into service of the new aircraft equipped with the new ClearVision™ system will reduce flight disruptions, which will be very good news for the people of Guernsey, who rely on air travel for essential connectivity. Beyond beating the fog, upgrading to the -600 series will also further enhance the operational efficiency of Aurigny. We are also excited about welcoming our passengers into the modern ATR cabin and offering them even more comfort when they fly.”

Pictured: The nose of an ATR with the special fog beating special cameras.

Nigel Moll, Aurigny Flight Operations Director said: "For us it is going to be a complete game changer, the technology of the enhanced vision system on this aeroplane means that probably out of 60 days a year where fog affects our operation for at least half of those days we expect to be landing; when with the current aircraft we couldn't."

"It's going to make a very big difference to our passengers, it's going to make a big difference saving money, by not having aircraft diverting, people overnight in hotels. It really is going to be quite an evolution for Aurigny's operation if we can replace our fleet with these aircraft."