Industry Alaska Air Group and SkyWest Airlines order E175 aircraft

Alaska Air Group has announced to have purchased nine new Embraer E175 regional jets through its subsidiary Horizon Air to boost the fleet. The aircraft will fly exclusively with Alaska Airlines under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA).

SkyWest Airlines on the other hand has ordered eight new E175s that will be operating for Alaska Airlines. The aircraft will add to the 32 E175s that SkyWest already has. Again, the aircraft will fly under a CPA for Alaska Airlines.

Together, the purchase agreements can be valued at approximately 848,1 Million USD according to current list prices. Both deals will be represented in Embraer´s second-quarter backlog.

President and CEO of SkyWest, Chip Childs, said: “With these aircraft, we will have over 220 E175s, operating more than any other carrier in the world. Our customers love the E175; and we have great confidence in and appreciate our long-standing partnership with Embraer for more than 35 years.”

“We have navigated through the pandemic and we’re on a solid path to recovery. The E175 remains a key part of our strategy,” added Nat Pieper, Alaska Airlines senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances. “We’re excited about growth in the years ahead, which has always been at the heart of Alaska’s DNA. The E175 is a terrific plane to help us add new routes and frequencies, and to complement our mainline aircraft to meet fluctuating demand with the right capacity.”

Joe Sprague, President and CEO of Horizon Air, commented: “Our customers love the comfort and convenience of the E175, especially their two-by-two layout, meaning no one has to sit in the middle seat. The size and efficiency of the E175 also allows us to boost flying in key markets, giving our customers more of the flexibility they crave.”

Additionally to the firm purchase agreement, Alaska Air Group has also announced, that it has a commitment for eight more E175 aircraft with SkyWest Airlines. One all 17 today announced aircraft have been delivered, the group will have 79 of the type.