Embraer has formally announced the launch of the second generation of its E-Jets family of commercial aircraft, named the E-Jets E2. Comprising the E175-E2, E190-E2, and E195-E2, the E190-E2 is expected to enter service in the first half of 2018 with the other models following from 2019.
“After more than a decade of success, the E-Jets have become a fixture in commercial airline fleets around the world,” Embraer CEO Frederico Fleury Curado said.
“The launch of the E2 builds on our vision to offer leading-edge commercial jets with a capacity right-sized for 70 to 130 seats, seamless mainline comfort, and performance for flexible and efficient utilisation by regional, low-cost, and network carriers.”
In a typical single-class layout, the E175-E2 was extended by one seat row, compared to the current generation E175, and will seat up to 88 passengers, while the E190-E2 keeps the same size as the E190, of up to 106 seats. The E195-E2, compared to the current E195, has grown three seat rows and will accommodate up to 132 seats.
Embraer said its strategy is to offer the benefits of a clean-sheet design, but with the reliability of a mature platform and commonality with current generation E-Jets.
New aerodynamically advanced, high-aspect ratio, distinctively shaped wings, improved systems and avionics, including fourth generation full fly-by-wire flight controls, and Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower geared turbofan will result in double-digit reductions in fuel consumption and maintenance costs, the company said.
Embraer, which estimates its total investments on the new E-Jets E2 models to be US$ 1.7 billion over the next eight years, projects a demand for 6,400 commercial jets with capacity of up to 130 seats, over the next 20 years. With more than 1,200 E-Jets orders, Embraer has achieved a 42 per cent market share in its segment. More than 950 E-Jets have been delivered to date to 65 customers from 47 countries. Later this year, the 1,000th E-Jet will roll off the assembly line, nine years after the first aircraft entered revenue service.
