Azul expects to receive its first Embraer 195-E2 around September, says the airline’s founder and chairman David Neeleman.
The Brazilian carrier, which is the launch operator of the aircraft, expects to end 2019 with six E195-E2s.
Embraer secured type certification for the E195-E2 in April. Azul holds orders for 51 E195-E2s with the Brazilian manufacturer, and has also committed to another six E195-E2s from lessors, split evenly between AerCap and Aircastle.
The addition of the E195-E2s will allow Azul to make further progress in an ongoing fleet renewal. It has been taking delivery of Airbus A320neos, and the re-engined narrowbody now makes up about 34% of its capacity.
«I’m truly surprised by the impact the A320neos have made in our network,» said Neeleman on an earnings call on 9 May. «We continue to add capacity and we haven’t seen a decrease in RASK.»
Azul grew capacity by 16% in the first quarter, while unit revenues stayed flat. Passenger unit revenue declined by 0.6%…
