The 1,000th E-Jet production aircraft was delivered to Mr. Bryan Bedford, the President, Chairman and CEO of Republic Airways Holdings at a ceremony at Embraer’s São José dos Campos facility. The aircraft is an E175 that Republic will fly on beh alf of American Eagle, the regional partner of American Airlines of Ft. Worth, Texas.
The event paid tribute to the 85 customers and 26 leasing companies that have added E-Jets to their fleets since the first revenue flight of an E170 by LOT Polish Airlines in 2004. The theme of the ceremony was “Change” in reference to how E-Jets have transformed commercial aviation and brought new efficiency, connectivity and standards of on-board comfort to the regional aircraft sector.
Employees carrying placards with logos and flags of each customer paraded through the audience and assembled beside the aircraft to form a map of the world. Mr. Frederico Curado, President and CEO of Embraer, spoke of the magnitude of the changes that E-Jets have brought to customers, passengers and even to Embraer itself the nine years since E-Jets entered scheduled airline service. He made specific reference to how E-Jets continue to open new markets, particularly in China, and how perceptions of regional aircraft have changed.
E-Jets have defined a new category of aircraft. Embraer E-Jets have blurred the line between smaller regional jets and larger single-aisle airplanes. Today, you’ll find Embraer customers flying E-Jets with audio and video-on-demand entertainment systems, WiFi and premium class cabins. E-Jets routinely fly long sectors – some as long as five hours – and are often scheduled on routes in parallel with larger single-aisle jets.
L-R: Peter Warlick, Vice President-Treasurer, American Airlines; Frederico Curado, President & CEO, Embraer; Paulo Cesar Silva, President, Embraer Commercial Aviation; Lars-Erik Arnell, Sr. VP, Corporate Development, Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.; Bryan Bedford, Chairman, President & CEO, Republic Airways Holdings, Inc.
