Airlines Azul receives first Embraer E195-E2 from AerCap

A ceremony was held at Embraer´s main facility in Sao José dos Campos, on which Azul took over its very first Embraer E195-E2. The aircraft is on lease from AerCap, one of the largest aircraft leasing companies.

Azul is the launch operator for the E195-E2 and has placed firm orders for a total of 51 aircraft of this type. According to Embraer, the airline will receive another five aircraft in 2019 to boost and modernize its fleet.

“Today’s delivery is a momentous occasion,” said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “It’s the largest commercial aircraft Embraer has ever built. Passengers are going to love the new interior and airlines are going to love the extraordinary operating economics. It’s absolutely ideal for Azul’s low-fare business model and for AerCap’s fleet portfolio. I’m proud of everyone on the Embraer team who worked so hard to see this day.”

“Over the last 10 years Azul revolutionized the Brazilian aviation market. We have helped to double the domestic market by providing service to regions, cities and communities that have never had service before, all thanks to the Embraer E195-E1 aircraft. Now with the E195-E2 we are ready to launch the next chapter in Brazilian aviation. We could not be prouder to bring this Brazilian aircraft, built with Brazilian technology and innovation to the Brazilian skies”, said David Neeleman, Azul’s founder and chairman of the board. “The E2 represents the next significant step in Azul’s fleet transformation, further powering our margin expansion story well into the years to come”, concluded Neeleman.

“Everyone at AerCap is thrilled to deliver the world’s first Embraer E195-E2 aircraft to Azul.  We have no doubt that this incredible aircraft will drive two of Brazil’s global leaders to new heights. We wish both Embraer and Azul every success with the E-Jets E2 program and we look forward to working with both of them for many, many years to come,” said Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap. 

Embraer and Azul have furthermore signed an agreement that sees the manufacturer providing its Flight Hour Pool Program. Under this agreement, Azul can use component support for the new E195-E2 fleet. Azul has been a customer for this program since 2008.

Azul is the largest airline in Brazil and was founded in 2008. The carrier offers around 870 daily flights to 114 destinations. Currently, 12,000 crewmembers belong to the company. The fleet consists of 33 ATR 72s, 32 Airbus A320s of which 31 are A320neos, eight A330-200s, one A330-900, two Boeing 737-400s, one E195-E2 and 57 ERJ-190.