ACIA Aero Leasing, a provider of regional aircraft leasing and lease management services, delivered an Embraer E-190 on lease to Bestfly Worldwide. The delivery, which took place at Embraer’s re-delivery center in Macon, GA, marks the introduction of the aircraft type to both the lessor and airline’s fleets.

With ACIA Aero Leasing’s three ATR 72-600s already in operation at Bestfly, the E-190 became the fourth aircraft on lease to the airline from ACIA Aero Leasing. Bestfly also mandated ACIA Aero Leasing to source and deliver a second E-190 as a result of prior discussions held at the Dubai Airshow in November. The addition of this first E-190 brings Bestfly’s fleet to a total of 25 aircraft.

“Bestfly continues to grow its portfolio and operational capabilities, offering a great product and service to its customers in some challenging jurisdictions,” Mick Mooney, CEO of ACIA Aero Leasing, said. “Like ACIA, they have a targeted growth mindset. The E-190 is a critical part of both our companies’ growth plans in Africa and beyond. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them, adding more aircraft and types as they continue to build the airline.”

The E-190 will bear Bestfly’s Cabo Verde livery and will enter service shortly. Bestfly will leverage the E-Jet to establish connectivity from Cabo Verde into West Africa and the Azores.

“We have been working diligently with our partners at ACIA to expand our portfolio with this crossover jet,” Nuno Pereira, CEO of Bestfly, said. “The delivery of this particular aircraft is very special for us since it is Bestfly’s first E-190 and 25th aircraft delivery. It solidifies our entry into the scheduled service segment. This is a very important milestone for Bestfly, as we will support the people of Cabo Verde with reliable and efficient connectivity that is much needed for their market. ACIA has been a fantastic partner throughout this process in coordinating with Embraer, GE and the regulators for certification and entry into service activities to support Bestfly’s acceptance of the E-190. It has truly been a team effort.”

“The delivery of ACIA’s first E-190 is a fantastic achievement for our team and what better way to celebrate this milestone than with a highly regarded customer such as Bestfly,” Sameer Adam, senior vice president of commercial at ACIA Aero Leasing, said. “We can expect much more growth from Bestfly through mandates for additional turboprop and regional jets in the very near future as both companies continue to implement their respective commercial strategies.”