Florida aircraft lessor Azorra Aviation Holdings has signed a sales and purchase agreement with JetBlue Airways to acquire 13 of the New York-based airline’s Embraer 190 regional jets.
The deal also calls for Azorra to purchase from JetBlue 36 of the General Electric CF34 turbofans that power E190s, the lessor said on 31 July.
Azorra says it has already acquired some of the assets and that it plans to complete the acquisitions by the second quarter of 2026.
“We’re excited to once again partner with JetBlue on this transaction, which reinforces our commitment to the Embraer E-Jet family and GE’s CF34-10 engines,” says Azorra chief executive John Evans. “It underscores our confidence in the performance, reliability, long-term value and continued demand for these assets.”
Acquiring more CF34 turbofans “enhances Azorra’s ability to offer flexible, near-term engine solutions”, the lessor says.
JetBlue has for years planned to divest its E190s.
That effort has long been delayed, but the company recently disclosed that in the second quarter of this year it signed agreements to sell all its remaining E190s – 25 aircraft and 59 engines, according to JetBlue securities filings.
It did not name buyers but said that, in July, it divested four E190s and six CF34s, and that it intended to wrap up the divestments by the middle of next year.
“This agreement [with Azorra] enables us to efficiently monetise a portion of our E190 assets,” JetBlue says. “Azorra has a strong track record in the Embraer space, and we’re glad these aircraft and engines will continue to serve operators around the world.”
Azorra has emerged as a specialist in the business of leasing Embraer regional jets. Its fleet includes 79 aircraft, among them 65 E-Jets (a mix of E170s, E175s, E190s and E195s), plus seven Airbus A220s, six A330s and a single De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprop, according to fleet data provider Cirium.
