Paris-based Regourd Aviation Group has joined the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) to further promote its ability to, among other things, offer aircraft on ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) leases to assist ERA member airlines with their transient fleet requirements.

Regourd owns and operates a fleet of regional aircraft in Europe for charter flights and ACMI and claims to have become a leading player in the business aircraft industry in Africa. A French company, Regourd says it is established in six countries, with four AOCs, with a Part 145 maintenance facility in France. 

Alain Regourd, the operator’s president, said, “We are delighted to join ERA and see it as a natural progression for us since we have become a key player in 50-seat regional jets in Western Europe, operating under our brand and on behalf of many European partners.” He said the membership will “improve our market awareness and create opportunities to address future market challenges.”

Montserrat Barriga, ERA director general, said, “Regourd Aviation is a fast-growing company group that brings with them decades of experience and a wealth of knowledge in both maintenance and aviation logistics.”

According to Regourd Aviation, the company was founded in 1976 and “quickly established itself as a leading player in the business aircraft industry (management, leasing, and trading).” In parallel, it set up various affiliated African air carriers: Equaflight, Equajet, FlyCaminter, Aero4M et AirMain.

The company started in aircraft trading before setting up Equaflight and Equajet in the Republic of Congo, Equa2R in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equa2C in Cameroon, Aero4M in Slovenia (founded in 2012) and MRO provider AirMain, established in France in 2015.

“Regourd Aviation and its partners cover flights for governmental or para-governmental organizations and for oil and mining companies as well as ad hoc charter flights,” said the company.

The group is believed to have operated various aircraft types including a Falcon 900EX, Embraer ERJ-135/145, ATR 42/72, Beech 1900C, and a Dornier 228 but it is not clear what its current active fleet consists of, as opposed to stored or former aircraft.

ERA’s website lists the company having one ATR 42, one ATR 72, one Embraer ERJ135 and seven Embraer ERJ145s with these aircraft being operated on the Slovenian AOC of Aero4M.

The group also has a partnership in Kenya, KASAS, established as an airline based in Nairobi in 2010 “and specialized in the air transport in remote areas.”