It seems that Embraer is changing its plans for the smallest of its updated E2 series family of jets.
Embraer E175-E2 completing its first flight – Image, Embraer.
The E175-E2 will be delayed until 2023. The Brazilian airframer in their Q2 results stated:
Given the current market conditions for commercial aviation as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Embraer confirms the reschedule of the start of operations of the E175-E2 jet until 2023. Embraer is continuing the development of the aircraft, although now on the revised timeline. The Company believes that the E175-E2 will still be available with more than adequate time to enter into service in the commercial aviation market to meet market demand for the jet.
In the meantime, the E175 will be offered to customers.
The E175-E2 is the smallest of the next generation Embraer E-Jets, capable of holding 90 passengers aboard. It completed its first test flight last year.
Currently, the E175-E2 has no orders attributable to it, whilst the other members of the family have had a mixed reception:
- Embraer E190-E2 – 14 deliveries, 11 outstanding orders
- Embraer E195-E2 – 8 deliveries, 140 outstanding orders
The company delivered four aircraft during the 2nd Quarter of 2020 – two E175 and two E190-E2 aircraft. Meanwhile, Congo Airways upgraded its firm order, announced in December 2019, from two E175s, with purchase rights for two more, to two firm orders of E190-E2s, with two more purchase rights.
There was one major highlight for Embraer – the delivery of the 1,600th E-Jet, an E190-E2, to Helvetic Airways of Switzerland. The 1,600th E-Jet also set a new distance record for the family in its delivery flight, covering 7,488 km (4,043 nm) non-stop, from Natal, Brazil, to Zürich.
Smaller aircraft have their place
Smaller Embraer aircraft have been used to restart networks – one need look at KLM who have used the type extensively on its European network restart. Smaller capacity aircraft offer the opportunity to restart routes up, ensure they are profitable (or at least able to sustain the possible loads), before throwing the extra capacity of a larger aircraft into the mix.
This is something the Turboprop manufactures and Embraer is going to have to target as the recovery continues – the thirst for network traffic, without the risk of over guessing capacity.
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