Fuji Dream Airlines of Japan is growing again. It announced an order for up to six new E-Jets today at the 2014 Farnborough Air Show. The acquisition is for three E175s with options for an additional three E175s. The airline currently flies three E170s and five E175s. If all of the options are confirmed, FDA will have an all-E-Jet fleet of 14 aircraft.
The new E175s will have 84 seats in a single-class layout and be equipped with an Autoland system that allows the aircraft to perform CAT III approaches and landings in limited visual conditions. The aircraft also incorporate the recent aerodynamic enhancements on the E175, including new wingtips, that reduce fuel burn.
FDA started flying in 2009 with two E170s. Since the beginning, it has adopted a business philosophy of carefully adding incremental capacity as it adds new cities and frequencies. To date, the airline has carried 2.4 million passengers.
Approximately 50 E-Jet flights per day serve a domestic network of a dozen cities. FDA’s E-Jets, instantly recognizable by their bright colours, are painted red, light blue, pink, green, orange, purple, yellow and tea green.