Embraer E-Jet family
The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast, narrow-body, short- to medium-range, twin-engined regional jet airliners designed and produced by Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer.
The E-Jet was designed to complement Embraer’s earlier ERJ family, the company’s first jet-powered regional aircraft. With a capacity of 66 to 124 passengers, the E-Jets were significantly larger than any aircraft Embraer had developed before that time. The project was unveiled in early 1997 and formally introduced at the 1999 Paris Air Show. On 19 February 2002, the first E-Jet prototype completed its maiden flight, and production began later that year.
The first E170 was delivered to LOT Polish Airlines on 17 March 2004. Initial rollout issues were quickly overcome, and Embraer rapidly expanded product support for better global coverage. Larger variants, the E190 and E195, entered service later in 2004, while a stretched version of the E170, the E175, was introduced in mid-2005.
The E-Jet series achieved commercial success, primarily due to their ability to serve lower-demand routes while offering many of the amenities and features of larger jets. The E-Jet family is used by both mainline and regional airlines worldwide, with particular popularity among regional airlines in the United States. It also served as the foundation for the Lineage 1000 business jet.
In the 2010s, Embraer introduced the second-generation E-Jet E2 family, featuring more fuel-efficient engines. However, as of 2023, the first-generation E175 remains in production to meet the needs of U.S. regional airlines, which are restricted from operating the newer generation due to scope clause limitations.
Development
Background
During the 1990s, the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer had introduced the ERJ family, its first jet-powered regional jet. As demand for the ERJ series proved strong even early on, the company decided that it could not rely on one family of aircraft alone and examined its options for producing a complementary regional jet, including designs that would be larger and more advanced than its preceding aircraft.During March 1997, Embraer made its first public disclosure that it was studying a new 70-seat aircraft, which was initially referred to as the EMB 170; this reveal was issued concurrently with the announcement of the development of the ERJ 135. As originally conceived, the EMB 170 was to feature a new wing and larger-diameter fuselage mated to the nose and cockpit of the ERJ 145. The proposed derivative would have cost $450 million to develop.
While Alenia, Aerospatiale and British Aerospace through AI were studying the Airjet 70 based on the ATR 42/72 fuselage for a range, AI and Embraer were studying a joint development of a 70-seater jet since their separate projects were not yet launched.
In February 1999, Embraer announced it had abandoned the derivative approach in favour of an all-new design. On 14 June 1999, the E-Jet family was formally launched at the Paris Air Show, initially using the twin designations ERJ-170 and ERJ-190; these were subsequently changed to Embraer 170 and Embraer 190 respectively. The launch customers for the airliner were the French airline Régional, which placed ten orders and five options for the E170, and the Swiss airline Crossair, which had ordered 30 E170s and 30 E190s.
During July 2000, production of components for the construction of both the prototype and test airframes began. Difficulties with the advanced avionics selected for the aircraft, supplied by the American company Honeywell, led to delays in the development schedule; originally, the first flight had been set to take place during 2000. On 29 October 2001, the first prototype PP-XJE was rolled out at São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Intro flight
On 19 February 2002, the first prototype performed its maiden flight, marking the beginning of a multi-year flight test campaign involving a total of six prototypes. In May 2002, the aircraft was displayed to the public at the Regional Airline Association convention. During that same year, full-rate production of the E-Jet commenced; this activity was centred around a recently completed factory built by Embraer at its São José dos Campos base.After a positive response from the airline community, Embraer launched the E175, which stretched the fuselage of the E170 by. During June 2003, the first flight of the E175 took place. In April 2003, jetBlue placed an order for 100 Embraer 190s, the deliveries of which commenced two years later.
Following several delays in the certification process, the E170 received type certification from the civil aviation authorities of Brazil, Europe and the United States in February 2004.
Production
In 2008, the 400th E-jet was delivered to Republic Airways in the United States. In September 2009, the 600th E-jet was delivered to LOT Polish Airlines.On 10 October 2012, Embraer delivered the 900th E-Jet to Kenya Airways, its 12th E-Jet. On 13 September 2013, the delivery of the 1,000th E-Jet, an E175 to Republic Airways for American Eagle, was marked by a ceremony held at the Embraer factory in São José dos Campos, with a special "1,000th E-Jet" decal above the cabin windows.
On 6 December 2017, the 1,400th E-Jet was delivered, an E175; it had a backlog of over 150 firm orders on 30 September 2017.
On 18 December 2018, Embraer delivered the 1,500th E-Jet, an E175 to Alaska Air subsidiary Horizon Air, as Embraer claims an 80% market share of the North American 76-seaters. By this point, the fleet had completed 25 million flight hours in 18 million cycles with a 99.9% dependability.
On 8 September 2025, Embraer delivered the 1,900th E-Jet, an E190-E2 to Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. The aircraft features a special "1900th E-Jet" decal below the cabin windows.
E-Jets second generation
In November 2011, Embraer announced that it would develop revamped versions of the E-Jet to be called the E-Jet E2 family. The new jets would feature improved engines that would be more fuel efficient and take advantage of new technologies. Beyond the new engines, the E2 family would also feature new wings, improved avionics, and other improvements to the aircraft. The move came amid a period of high global fuel costs and better positions Embraer as competitors introduced new and more fuel efficient jets, including the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. The new aircraft family also includes a much larger variant, the E195-E2 capable of carrying between 120 and 146 passengers. This jet better positions Embraer against the competing Airbus A220 aircraft. The PW1000G was previously selected for use on competing aircraft.In January 2013, Embraer selected the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan engine to power the E2 family.
On 28 February 2018, The E190-E2 received its type certificate from the ANAC, FAA and EASA. It was scheduled to enter service in the second quarter of 2018.
Design
The Embraer E-Jet family is composed of two main commercial families and a business jet variant. The smaller E170 and E175 make up the base model aircraft, while the E190 and E195 are stretched versions, being powered by different engines and furnished with larger wing, horizontal stabilizer, and landing gear structures. From the onset, the E-Jet had been designed to be stretched. The E170 and E175 share 95% commonality, as do the E190 and E195; the two families share near 89% commonality, maintaining identical fuselage cross-sections and avionics fitouts. The E190 and E195 possess capacities similar to the initial versions of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and Boeing 737. All members of the E-Jet family are available in baseline, long range, and advanced range models, the latter being intended for long routes with limited passenger numbers.The smaller members of the E-Jet family are powered by the General Electric CF34-8E turbofan engine, each capable of generating up to of thrust, while the stretched aircraft are outfitted with the more powerful General Electric CF34-10E, capable of producing a maximum of thrust. These engines have been designed to minimise noise and emission outputs, exceeding the requirements established by the International Civil Aviation Organization; the relatively low acoustic signature has enabled the E-Jet to be operated from airports that have imposed strict noise restrictions, such as London City Airport. The type is also equipped with winglets that reduce fuel burn and thereby improve operational efficiency.
The E-Jet family is equipped with a fly-by-wire flight control system. The flight deck is furnished with the Honeywell Primus Epic Electronic flight instrument system suite and has been designed to facilitate a common type rating, enabling flight crews to be readily moved between different members of the family without the need for any retraining/recertifying and providing greater flexibility to operators. Early operations of the E-Jet were frequently troubled by avionics issues; by September 2008, Honeywell had issued software updates that sought to rectify the encountered issues.
The main cabin is configured with four-abreast seating as standard, and features a "double-bubble" design that Embraer has purpose-developed for its commercial passenger jets to provide stand-up headroom. The dimensions of the cabin were intentionally comparable to the narrowbody airliners of Airbus and Boeing to permit greater comfort levels than most regional aircraft. Considerable attention to detail was reportedly paid by Embraer to elevating the type's passenger appeal. Many operators have chosen to outfit their aircraft with amenities such as Wi-Fi and at-seat power outlets. The windows of the E-Jet family are relatively large at in comparison to most contemporary airliners, such as the windows of the Boeing 787.
United and SkyWest have begun retrofitting their jointly operated E175 aircraft with larger "wheels first" overhead bins which can accommodate up to an extra 29 bags, an 80 percent increase in space. The airlines will modify 50 aircraft with the new bins in 2024, and if successful, plan to retrofit more than 150 aircraft by the end of 2026.