Story ID: 757 Embraer Day 1 Orders.doc
Embraer Stacks Up Paris Orders
By: Ian Sheppard
Caption: Embraer announced a range of E-Jet orders on the first day of the 2015 Paris Air Show.
Word Count: 345
Yesterday Embraer underlined why it believes there is a rosy future for its regional jets when it notched up orders from several customers for its E-Jet family.

Having earlier this week announced that it has started to assemble the first E190-E2 jet, the Brazilian manufacturer revealed orders from SkyWest Airlines (8 E175s to fly with Alaska Airlines), Colorful Guizhou Airlines (up to 17 E190s), United Airlines (E175s for United Express) and lessor Aircastle (up to 50 E2s).

The SkyWest aircraft will be flown by Alaska Airlines under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) with Alaska Airlines. The contract is worth an estimated $355 million, said Embraer. The order follows a similar order under a CPA for seven aircraft last November, with the first of those aircraft being due to enter service with Alaska Airlines next month. Both represent the firming up of orders from an initial SkyWest order consisting of 40 firm and 60 “reconfirmable” orders placed in May 2013.

Colorful Guizhou Airlines is the first locally-owned airline in Guizhou Province, China. Its order consists of 7 firm plus options for a further 10 aircraft, with estimated potential value of $834 million. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery this year. Guizhou is Embraer’s fifth E-Jet customer in China.

The United Airlines order, a firm order for 10 aircraft worth around $444 million. Embraer said that United’s latest acquisition was on top of a 2013 order for 30 E175s.

The order from Aircastle Holding Corporation consists of 15 E190-E2s and 10 E195-E2s plus an additional 25 purchase rights, for a total potential order of 50 aircraft. Deliveries to the lessor are due to start in 2018 with it receiving “roughly seven” aircraft a year through to 2021.

Embraer said that the new orders brought the E-Jets E2 order backlog to 267 firm plus 373 options and purchase rights.

The E2 jets represent the new generation of E-Jets, being powered by Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines, which have replaced the General Electric CF34 used on the existing line of E-Jets.