PR: LATAM Airlines Brazil and Embraer are celebrating the start of the delivery process for the first E195-E2 in the airline’s history. The new aircraft is expected to enter service in the coming days and will bolster LATAM’s connectivity expansion, contributing to the ongoing growth of the airline’s footprint in the country, which has expanded from 44 airports served six years ago to 63 today.
The aircraft is the first of 12 E195-E2s scheduled to be delivered to LATAM by the end of 2026. Its arrival marks the next step in the plan announced in September 2025, when LATAM Airlines Group disclosed the acquisition of up to 74 aircraft of this model.?
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“We chose the E195-E2 with a clear objective: to continue expanding LATAM’s presence in Brazil sustainably. With the E2, we will connect new markets with strong demand and economic potential to our global network, allowing us to surpass the milestone of 70 airports served in Brazil as early as 2027,” explains Jerome Cadier, CEO of LATAM Airlines Brazil.?
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“We are proud to celebrate the completion of LATAM Airlines Brazil’s first E195-E2. This aircraft will play an important role in the company’s strategy to expand its connectivity, offering the ideal combination of efficiency, operational flexibility, and comfort. It is gratifying to see the E195-E2 contributing to connecting new destinations and supporting the development of air transportation in Brazil,” says Francisco Gomes Neto, CEO of Embraer.
Notes:
This is an important moment for both companies. Embraer now has a key local customer, and this is its first delivery to the customer. For LATAM, whose fleet history focuses on Airbus and Boeing, this delivery is new.
LATAM ordered 24 firm E195-E2s + 50 options in September 2025. This order mattered because LATAM could have stayed with Airbus by ordering A220s. Embraer won against significant odds. Consider the same trade-off LOT had, and it chose the A220.
What might the E2 offer LATAM that makes it the more attractive option? The most obvious feature is that LATAM doesn’t need the A220’s range. Moreover, the lighter E2 is arguably the better solution for smaller Brazilian airports. After all, their CEO points to the 70 airports they want to serve, most of which are small.
In summary, this delivery event is significant because of the signal it sends. Both parties are optimizing the moment. The E195-E2 remains Embraer’s best-seller as it transitions away from a regional-jet focus. LATAM gets an optimal solution to continue its market dominance.
Speaking of dominance, let’s look at that. LATAM’s competitor, Azul, has been the exclusive Brazilian operator of the E195-E2 for years and built much of its network around Embraer’s aircraft. LATAM is now entering the same segment for the first time.
Network Strategy
- Azul: Deep regional specialist. It pioneered thin/secondary routes (cities that don’t justify an A320) using E-Jets. It has the densest domestic network (historically serving far more cities than LATAM or Gol) and uses the E2 for point-to-point and secondary hub flying (Viracopos, Confins, Recife).
- LATAM: Using the E2 as a right-sizing tool. It will deploy the aircraft mainly from Guarulhos (and other hubs) to feed its large international network and open thinner markets that previously weren’t viable with A319/A320s. First phase (Nov 2026–Mar 2027): ~14 aircraft on 42 routes, including four new destinations (Cabo Frio, Macaé, Ji-Paraná, Rondonópolis) and several new direct links.
LATAM is essentially attacking the “Azul territory” of mid-size and secondary cities while keeping its strength on high-density trunk routes.
Product Differentiation
- LATAM’s E2: 136 seats with a Premium Economy cabin (up to 20 seats) — unusual for the type in Brazil. Plus satellite Wi-Fi (SES multi-orbit), LATAM Play entertainment, and USB-C at every seat.
- Azul’s E2: Emphasizes the classic 2-2 layout (no middle seats), individual seatback screens, Wi-Fi on many aircraft, and its long experience operating the type. Azul has publicly responded to the LATAM/Gol orders by stressing that “the experience cannot be copied.”
Market Context
- LATAM already leads the Brazilian domestic market (~39–42% share in 2026).
- Azul is third (~26–29%) and has been more capacity-disciplined after its Chapter 11 restructuring.
- Gol (via Abra) also ordered E195-E2s (deliveries from late 2027), so eventually all three major Brazilian carriers will fly the type.
Bottom Line
Azul loses exclusivity on Brazil’s most efficient small jet while LATAM gains a flexible weapon to deepen its domestic footprint without flooding markets with larger Airbus narrowbodies. And Gol is coming on.
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