Summary Virgin Australia's order for Embraer E190-E2 aircraft will significantly reduce fuel efficiency and emissions in Western Australia. LOT Polish Airlines and Mexicana are also increasing their fleets with Embraer jets, contributing to the manufacturer's record backlog. The introduction of new, low-emission aircraft is part of a broader industry trend towards more sustainable air travel solutions.
The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is on track for a record summer. The planemaker has steadily increased its aircraft deliveries and secured a number of new orders in recent months. With the announcement of today's order from Virgin Australia, the number of E2 operators will have almost doubled over the past two years.
An efficient upgrade Western Australia is set to see more fuel-efficient aircraft take to the skies as Virgin Australia announced a firm order with Embraer to replace its long-serving fleet of Fokker 100 aircraft. The carrier confirmed today that it has placed a firm order for eight Embraer E190-E2 small narrowbody aircraft as part of its fleet renewal plan. No sale price was confirmed, but estimated delivery prices from Cirium Ascend place the total price tag around $300 million.
Get all the latest aviation news right here on Simple Flying. The planes will feature Pratt & Whitney's PW1900G engines with a range of around six hours. The E190-E2s will complement the airline's larger narrowbodies and be based in Perth, where they are to be operated by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA).
Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka noted how the new aircraft would improve performance, reliability, and customer comfort across Western Australia: “When the new E190-E2 enters service from October 2025, it will become the first new aircraft in the WA charter market this century. “The E190-E2 is the most fuel-efficient aircraft in its segment and will reduce emissions by about 30 percent compared to the outgoing F100. These aircraft also feature significantly lower noise profiles and enhanced passenger comfort.
” “When the E190-E2 joins the fleet from late next year it will predominantly operate charter flights for VARA, bolstering its position as a leading operator in the WA charter market. This is a huge vote of confidence by the Virgin Australia Group in our charter business and the WA market.” The E190-E2 will be configured in Embraer's signature two-by-two seating and operate regional flights for the airline.
The aircraft has been certified to fly with blends of up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel ( SAF ). In test flights, the E2 has demonstrated the engine's compatibility with 100% SAF, which will significantly help the carrier reach its emissions targets in the coming years. Australia's regional sector is seeing new generation aircraft arriving and now it's the turn of Virgin Australia Regional to select the next new type.
The Embraer order is part of a more extensive group-wide fleet growth and renewal program that includes the acquisition of new Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft and refurbishing the airline's existing 737 fleet. Speaking on the announcement, Deputy Premier of Western Australia and Treasurer, Minister for Transport, and Minister for Tourism Rita Saffioti noted how the order will benefit the local economy: “This is a major investment in our state’s regional aviation sector and will help to grow the amount of jobs available within Western Australia. “Our Government is making enormous investments to make flying more affordable than ever before for regional Western Australians, and our support for regional aviation gives airlines like Virgin Australia confidence to invest back into Western Australia.
“We will continue to prioritise affordable, efficient and reliable aviation for regional families.” Deliveries of the new Embraer planes are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2025. They are set to be welcomed to VARA's new $35 million maintenance hangar and apron facility at Perth Airport (PER), which is set to open later this year A growing number of operators The Virgin Australia announcement follows a recent E2 order from LOT Polish Airlines , the original launch customer of Embraer's E-Jets lineup in 2004.
In May, Embraer announced that the Star Alliance carrier would add three of its E195-E2 new-generations aircraft to the fleet, the first of which has already been delivered less than three months later. Michał Fijoł, President of the Management Board of LOT Polish Airlines, noted just how historic the delivery was: "Twenty years after the delivery of the first Embraer E-170, the LOT Polish Airlines fleet will be expanded by three Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. With these aircraft, we will increase the frequency of flights to selected European cities, offering passengers a high level of comfort in the latest generation fleet.
"The introduction of new, low-emission aircraft is also part of the implementation of our "Destination ECO" strategy. LOT Polish Airlines is today one of the largest Embraer operators in Europe, so we are happy to welcome further state-of-the-art aircraft, inviting our passengers to travel together." Poland's flag carrier is far from the only airline adding Embraer jets this summer.
In June, the latest iteration of Mexicana (Mexicana de Aviación) placed an order for ten E190-E2 and ten E195-E2 jets. This follows an even larger order in April from American Airlines, which took 90 Embraer E175s, with purchase rights for 43 additional jets. Altogether, these orders have raised the manufacturer's backlog to an all-time high.
The Brazilian manufacturer maintained its commercial aircraft delivery guidance to be between 72 and 80 aircraft..
