Embraer
PR: São José dos Campos, Brazil, June 30, 2026 – Embraer has delivered the first brand-new Embraer E175 airplane to Air Peace. The delivery further strengthens the partnership between Embraer and Air Peace, beyond their operations of the larger E195-E2 and the smaller ERJ145 fleet. The E175 will support Air Peace in its ambition to increase connectivity in Nigeria and the region, whilst providing more capacity flexibility to the airline.
“We are delighted to deliver this first factory-new E175 to our partners at Air Peace,” said Arjan Meijer, President and CEO at Embraer Commercial Aviation. “This delivery highlights the continued demand for right-sized aircraft, with airlines seeking to expand connectivity while maintaining high levels of efficiency and service.”
“The delivery of our first Embraer E175 is a major milestone in Air Peace’s growth, reflecting our commitment to boosting domestic and regional travel with a modern, efficient fleet,” said Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman and CEO of Air Peace. “As we strengthen our leadership in West and Central Africa, this aircraft will increase our operational flexibility and market reach, all while maintaining the safety, reliability, and excellent service our passengers expect.
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Start My Test Flight →Air Peace’s position as a leading airline in West Africa is further reinforced by the delivery of the E175 which will deliver exceptional fuel efficiency, lower emissions, favorable economics on thin and medium-density routes, and great passenger comfort.
Africa’s aviation sector is set for strong long-term growth, driven by population expansion, urbanization, rising travel demand and the need for better regional links. Embraer’s latest Market Outlook, the African Connectivity Report 2026, identifies 55 intra-African city pairs – up from 45 in 2025 – that still lack direct air services, highlighting the opportunity for right-sized aircraft such as the E175 to open new routes and improve connectivity.
With the introduction of the E175 to Air Peace’s growing fleet, it is expected that both domestic and regional operations will increase through higher flight frequencies on key Nigerian routes and the introduction of new services to additional four African cities.
Notes:
- The key news here is that the E175 is finding another spot outside North America. This is huge for Embraer, as the US regional market shifts toward replacement rather than growth.
- As US scope-clause-bound regional carriers cycle through replacement orders rather than net fleet growth, Embraer’s future E175 success increasingly depends on opening new markets — and Africa, with its fragmented connectivity and chronic infrastructure constraints, is exactly the kind of market where a mature, reliable aircraft like the E175 has an edge.
- Air Peace, if successful, will be mimicked. To be fair, the E175 is already in service at Airlink in South Africa. But African regional service is a strange beast.
- Intra-African air connectivity is notoriously poor and fragmented due to regulatory hurdles, limited airline cooperation, infrastructure gaps, high costs, and historical/colonial route patterns. Many city pairs (especially in West/Central Africa or between distant regions like West Africa and East/Southern Africa) lack direct or even viable regional flights, forcing travelers to route through European hubs like Brussels, Paris, or others—or African hubs like Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines), Nairobi (Kenya Airways), or Johannesburg.
- It might be that Air Peace is following the Airlink success. And it is a great model to copy. Air Peace is already an Embraer operator with E2s in service.
- Africa desperately needs better regional service, and of the options, the E175 is the best. It is mature and reliable. Two fundamentally important items in Africa. Nobody can afford an AOG in the backwoods.
- Another stepping stone for Embraer as it continues to quietly grow its footprint – and it is now the most successful OEM in Africa by fleet size. Embraer claims it has over 300 aircraft operating in Africa (across ~75+ operators) and >30% market share in the up-to-150-seat segment. It is the market leader in regional aircraft for the continent.
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