Airport staff and guests inspected the E170 shortly after it landed at Ouagadougou Airport. The E-Jet carried its first passengers on 18 January.

Air Burkina has acquired two E170s as part of its fleet modernization plan.  The first aircraft entered revenue service on 18 January and flew four legs to/from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.  The second E170 is scheduled for delivery in March.  The two 68-seat E-Jets will replace the carrier’s MD80s.

The E170s will allow Air Burkina to develop its network with more fuel-efficient and right-sized aircraft.  With their 3.892 km range, the E-Jets can easily serve all of the airline’s nine west African destinations including Dakar which is 1.600 km from Ouagadougou and just under three hours flying time.

More than 40 E-Jets and nearly 50 ERJs are flying with African carriers.  Want to know more about Embraer and the prospects for African aviation?  Check out the special issue of Tailwinds that features Embraer’s recent Johannesburg airline business seminar for the region.