Regional carrier Jetgo’s first Embraer ERJ-140 has emerged from the paintshop sporting the airline’s colours and is undergoing final checks and awaiting the installation of some avionics upgrades before making its way to Australia.
The Embraer ERJ-140LR, registration VH-ZJG, is at Republic Airlines’ facility in the US state of Kentucky having completed its paint job and C-check, with some new avionics due to be installed shortly.
Jetgo managing director for airlines Paul Bredereck says the ERJ-140 was expected to make its acceptance flight on September 28, which is a little later than planned due to a delay in getting some avionics components.
“I expect that that aircraft will be coming into Australia some time in early October,” Bredereck said.
The aircraft is one of three ERJ-140s Jetgo has acquired from Republic Airlines.
Meanwhile, Bredereck said training and route proving flights for the start of Jetgo’s regular public transport (RPT) service was progressing well.
Jetgo, which to date has been a charter and fly-in/fly-out, operator, was expected to conduct two more flights this week, with the first scheduled for Wednesday August 27 and the second slated for Friday August 29 using the airline’s existing Embraer ERJ-135 aircraft.
Bredereck said the airline was less than a week away from confirming its inaugural RPT route, with Sydney to Roma one of several potential routes under consideration.
“The RPT operations, when we kick them off, we will use our current Embraers ERJ-135s, to start with,” Bredereck said.
