Swiss financier and airline owner Martin Ebner is digging deep into his pockets to expand his Helvetic Airways, with the purchase of a new fleet of aircraft.
The Brasilian aircraft builder Embraer and Swiss Helvetic Airways have signed an agreement for the purchase of 24 Embraer E2 aircraft, according to a statement from the Ebner-owned airline Wednesday.
The first batch of 12 E2-190 aircraft will replace the current Fokker and Embraer E1 planes between the fall of 2019 and 2021, with an option for buying a further 12 planes. This would represent a total renewal of the Helvetic fleet of aircraft.
New vs Used
Helvetic, which up to now has largely used cheaper, second-hand aircraft, provided no details on the cost of the transaction. The deal represents a paradigm change for Ebner as he explained to Swiss newspaper «Bund» (in German).
«We are looking, through the purchase of relatively expensive aircraft, at creating the basis for a modern and strong regional airline», the founder of Zurich's BZ Bank was cited as saying. The move should give the airline more growth, and more independence from Swiss, from whom Helvetic has leased out a large portion of its fleet.
