Following up on the productive Istanbul show, Embraer had two pieces of news today. It has been another good day for Embraer.
The first is a deal with longtime customer NAC for ten E-190/5 P2F conversions. Deliveries start in 2024. In May 2022, NAC and Embraer reached an agreement in principle to take up to 10 conversions; this order is now confirmed. The aircraft for conversion will come from NAC’s existing E190/E195 fleet.Â
In July 2022 Kenya-based Astral Aviation announced it would be the first Embraer P2F customer. Astral is attracting attention because it is also the lead customer for the IAI-modified 777-300ERFs. Moreover, this company has a stake in the P2F A321 being flown in India. This will make Astral an operator of a wide range of freighters.
The second piece of news from Embraer today is a new E2 operator with leisure airline TUI Belgium. The E195-E2 aircraft will be leased through AerCap. Embraer has quietly been broadening its E2 operator base. The TUI aircraft will be delivered between March and May 2023 and will replace four E190s at its Antwerp base. Such a quick delivery period from the order has to be a crucial advantage for Embraer and the airline. The sub-150-seat market offers operators and lessors a rich selection from Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer.Â
Among the OEMs, Airbus has a backlog that limits delivery slots, and Boeing’s MAX 7 has yet to be certified. This offers Embraer an advantage over the much larger competition. Competing with the likes of Airbus and Boeing has to be one of the most uncomfortable places in commercial aviation. Yet Embraer has managed to win deals – converting existing E-Jet customers to their E2 and also winning over new operators. The current E-Jets (E190 & E195) now have a longer life as potential P2F feedstock.
