In two separate announcements, Embraer has disclosed that Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras and Air Kiribati have signed firm orders for Embraer’s newest model, the E2-Jet.
Air Kiribati has signed up for two E190-E2 and two options for the same type while Brazilian airline Azul has firmed up its LoI (Letter of Intent) for 21 additional E2-195.
This brings the total amount of E195-E2 on order by Azul to 51, including 30 aircraft which were previously ordered. The E195-E2 is the largest aircraft ever produced by Embraer and can seat up to 146 seats in a single class cabin. Azul is one of the largest operators of the current E-Jet and will replace its fleet of 70 E190 and E195 with the new E2 generation, starting in 2019. The LoI for the additional aircraft was signed during Farnborough Air Show in 2018, the deal is worth up to $1.4 billion according to list prices but is likely below this amount due to usual discounts for large orders.
Air Kiribati however operates only five aircraft, one Bombardier Dash 8 Q100, one DHC-6 “Twin Otter” and three Harbin Y-12. These aircraft operate on a mostly domestic network, covering most islands of Kiribati and some neighboring islands such as Fiji. The newly ordered E190-E2 will allow the airline to operate non-stop between the northernmost and the southernmost islands of the nation, which are approximately 3,900 kilometres (2,400 miles) apart, and to open up new destinations in the Pacific area. If the two additional purchase options are exercised, the airline pays $243 million according to list prices.
Jan-Hendrik is an aviation enthusiast from Germany, loves to travel the world and fly on as many aircraft as possible. His first flight was with a Condor 757 to Spain and has been interested in aviation ever since. His fields of expertise are aircraft accidents and passenger experience (PaxEx).
