2024: The Year of Embraer, 20 Years of E-Jets

If you are reading this magazine, chances are you are familiar with Embraer. Established in 1969, the Brazilian manufacturer has built a strong global reputation over its 55 years. Starting with the Bandeirante, its first commercial aircraft, Embraer developed one of the most successful aircraft families ever: the E-jets.

Launched in June 1999, LOT Polish Airlines (LO) operated the first E-jet commercial flight from Warsaw to Vienna on March 17, 2004. Embraer announced the re-engined, redesigned E2 family in November 2011 and rolled it out on January 1, 2016. The E2 introduced several innovations, including revised wings and more efficient engines, which led to significantly better fuel economy. The first E2 flight took off on April 24, 2018, when the launch customer Widerøe operated the E190-E2 ‘LN-WEA’ from Bergen (BGO) to Tromsø (TOS).

The E2 innovation came at a price, politically. Due to the increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW), the smaller variant of the E2 family, the E175-E2, did not fit into the United States’ scope clause. In 2012, the three largest US airlines capped the regional airline’s jet capacity at 76 seats and set an MTOW of 86,000lb, or 39 tonnes.

As it failed to meet the scope clause requirements, the E175-E2, the natural successor of the E175-E1, did not receive any orders from Embraer’s largest customers. Surprisingly, this was not a major issue for Embraer; the company could still rely on strong E175-E1 traction, as seen recently with American Airline’s order. On March 4, the Fort Worth-based airline placed an order for 90 E175s and purchased rights for 43 more, confirming its continued interest in the previous-generation technology.

Once the scope clause was formalized, Embraer attracted orders for almost 400 E170s and 175s between 2013 and 2017. The company received almost 900 orders for E170s and E175s from US-based carriers alone.

As of Q1 2024, Embraer received orders for 2,180 E1 and E2 jets, effectively leading the about-100-seat market segment. Of these, 300 were firm orders for the E190-E2 and E195-E2, with the latter accounting for almost 90% of all E2 family orders. So far, the E190-E2 has failed to capture the market’s attention, highlighting a shift towards higher capacity. Given the relatively young age of E1 fleets worldwide, most E2 purchases can be considered as fleet expansions rather than replacements.

This year, Embraer announced the best Q1 results in seven years. The company registered a…