The relative paucity of orders Embraer has drawn for its E-Jet line in the Asia-Pacific region contrasts sharply with its success in China, a market company executives expect only to grow with the introduction of the first E2 variant. Expecting imminent certification of the E190-E2 as the Singapore Airshow approached, Embraer (Static Display CD 31, Stand V01) sees recently announced improvements in hot-and-high performance to draw particular attention from airlines in the People’s Republic, where no fewer than 100 E-Jets already fly with five operators.

Throughout the rest of Asia, current-generation E-Jets fly only in Japan, but, according to Embraer Commercial Aviation marketing vice president Rodrigo Silva e Souza, interest has spread as the company demonstrates the ability of the E2s to generate seat-mile costs rivaling those of bigger narrowbodies.

While, in China, the current E190 accounts for virtually all of Embraer’s narrowbody deliveries, Silva sees each of the three new E2 variants—the E190-E2, the E195-E2, and the E175-E2—addressing existing and new markets throughout Asia. In the case of the E175, even the current generation, or E1, version will find a niche in China alongside the indigenous Comac ARJ-21 in the next one to two years, projected Silva, who cited the country’s recent policy to require startup airlines to build a fleet of 25 aircraft carrying less than 90 seats before they may add anything larger. “The 175 is very well positioned for that particular incentive,” he said. “We could even have E175-E1s being delivered to China before we have the E175-E2 ready [in 2021]...I believe this year or next year we should have E175-E1s flying in China.”

E195 Niche

As for the rest of Asia-Pacific, Silva expects the largest E2 variant—the upcoming E195-E2—to find a niche in low-yield markets where none of the E1s managed to take hold.  

“The Asian market is a very low-yield market, and it requires an aircraft with a lower seat-mile cost, which is the case with the E195-E2,” said Silva. “It has similar unit cost to an A320neo, for instance, but 20-percent better trip cost, so we believe it will be very attractive. I believe the E190-E2 brings more efficiency to the current E190 customer base, but the E195-E2 will change the balance between let’s say E-Jets and narrowbodies in any airline fleet because the unit cost is much more attractive and it will open some markets that we’re not able to reach with the current-generation E-Jets.”

In fact, the E195-E2 appears likely to benefit from all of the performance and cost advantages demonstrated during testing of the E190-E2, whose final specification show a 1.3-percent better fuel burn performance than original estimates and a 750-nm improvement in hot-and-high ranges from London City Airport and Mexico City.

Aerodynamic improvements in the E190-E2 result in a fuel burn rate decrease of 17.3 percent compared with the E190-E1, as opposed to the original estimate of 16 percent, explained E-Jet program director Fernando Antonio Oliveira. The company attributes the improvement to better-than-expected performance of the new wing, an aerodynamically clean fuselage, and the “smart” use of the airplane’s fly-by-wire controls.

Meanwhile, Embraer credited runway performance improvements to a weight-control program that allowed it to achieve its weight goals precisely on target, flap and slat optimization during the flight test campaign, drag reduction on key elements for takeoff performance such as landing gear, and, finally “excellence in using the fly-by-wire.”

Hot-and-high improvements have resulted in an increase in range out of London City Airport to 2,200 nm, allowing the E190-E2 to reach markets in Russia, Egypt, and Turkey. The company expects to gain certification for London City within two years, said Oliveira, who named E1 operators BA Cityflier, KLM Cityhopper, and Austrian Airlines as likely candidates for flying the E2 in and out of LCY. From Mexico City, range increases to 1,600 nm, extending the E190’s reach to Canada and South America.

Silva explained that aerodynamic fine-tuning that resulted in the performance improvements also translates into a reduction in aircraft noise. Specifications show that the E190-E2 generates a 20 EPNdB margin on Stage 4, equating to a 3 EPNdB improvement over original expectations. Of course, the fuel burn reduction resulting from the aerodynamic improvements also reduce emissions, and Embraer estimates that 1.3 percent better fuel consumption translates into about 1,700 tons less CO₂ emissions per aircraft over 10 years.

Finally, Embraer now expects that pilots will need only two and a half days worth of transition training for the E2, or half a day less than the original plan. “The differences in procedures are very small; there’s no need for a full-flight simulator, and the 2.5 days actually represents less than 10 percent of the full flight training for a new aircraft,” said Silva. “So this level of transition training becomes a very strong selling point for current E-Jet operators. In times of a pilot shortage, to have one-tenth the normal transition training to jump to a more efficient aircraft is a very strong advantage compared to a new platform.”