Delivery of the new aircraft to begin in 2013
São José dos Campos, Brazil -- Embraer and Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras signed a contract today for the purchase of 11 EMBRAER 195 jets. The transaction increases the airline’s total orders for Embraer E-Jets to 52 aircraft. The value of this latest acquisition, at list price, is USD 497.2 million. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2013.
In addition to the 23 E195s it already flies in 118-seat single class configuration, Azul also operates ten 106-seat E190s. Both airplanes are the backbone of Azul’s fleet, which started operations in 2008 and in a couple of years expanded to achieve the respectable mark of 12 million transported passengers. With this new order, Azul will be the operator of the largest fleet of E-Jets in South America. All of the aircraft are equipped with individual in-flight entertainment system.
“The follow-on order from Azul is another example of the E195 success in the low-cost carrier business model,” said Paulo César de Souza e Silva, Embraer President of Commercial Aviation. “I’m particularly pleased to have a Brazilian customer showcasing the versatility of the E195 here in our home country.”
Azul CEO David Neeleman explained the need for increasing the size of the airline’s fleet: “This order underlines our belief that the E190 and E195 are the right aircraft for Azul’s growing network within Brazil. This additional capacity will support profitable growth, as well as our core mission of providing safe, comfortable and affordable air transportation in the country.”
The proven success of the E195 with low cost carriers is attributed to its outstanding dispatch reliability and high utilization. Today, each E190 and E195 in the Azul fleet is scheduled an average of 13 block hours per day, the highest of any E-Jets operator. The E195 and E190 are also in service with other low cost carriers, including Flybe, in the United Kingdom, JetBlue, in the USA, nasair, in Saudi Arabia, and Virgin Australia.
About Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras
After nearly three years of operations, Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras now connects 40 destinations – 39 cities, with 300 daily flights. When you add eight bus lines, 45 of Brazil’s cities are connected by the company. Azul has passed the mark of 12 million passengers carried since its founding.
The company currently operates a fleet of 33 EMBRAER 190 and EMBRAER 195 jets. Azul’s mission is to stimulate air transportation and spur the Brazilian economy via a formula that is as easy to understand as it is difficult to imitate: low prices with top quality services.
The success of the company is attested to by the awards: “Best Airline in Brazil”, by Viagem e Turismo and Avião Revue magazines, “Outstanding Company of 2009”, by the XII Aero Magazine de Aviação Awards, “One of the 30 World’s Hottest Brands”, by Advertising Age from New York, and elected the best low-cost airline in Latin America by Skytrax World Airline Awards, which is recognized as the reference for excellence in the airline sector.
About the Embraer Family of E-Jets
The Embraer family of E-Jets consists of four commercial jets with 70 to 122 seats, featuring advanced engineering design, efficient performance, outstanding operating economics, low emissions levels and a spacious cabin without middle seats (2x2).
The E-Jets have a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.82, can fly at 41,000 feet (12,500 meters) and have ranges of up to 2,400 nautical miles (4,450 kilometers). The high degree of commonality among the four aircraft – EMBRAER 170, EMBRAER 175, EMBRAER 190 and EMBRAER 195 – results in exceptional savings for carriers, in terms of crew training and the cost of spare parts and maintenance. Another key feature of the E-Jets is the state-of-the-art, fly-by-wire technology, which increases operating safety, while reducing pilot workload and fuel consumption.
The double-bubble fuselage design provides superior comfort and includes two main passenger entrances and two service doors, thus minimizing aircraft turn-around time. The E-Jets offer much more space for passengers, in a single or dual-class layout, than other aircraft with similar seating capacities. For more details, visit www.EmbraerCommercialJets.com.
The E-Jets have achieved outstanding success, with over 1,000 firm orders from 60 companies in 40 countries. More than 800 E-Jets have been delivered and have, collectively, accumulated 5 million flight hours and transported 200 million passengers, worldwide. This proven family is helping airlines to right size low load factor narrowbody routes, to replace older, inefficient aircraft, and to develop new markets with lower operating costs, greater efficiency, and outstanding passenger comfort. To better understand the benefits of these aircraft, when substituting older jets, visit www.eforefficiency.com.