The Embraer E175-E2, the third and smallest member of the E-Jets E2 family, made its first flight Thursday from the company’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, kicking off a 24-month flight-test campaign.

“Today’s flight of the E175-E2 marks the completion of our vision to produce a family of new-generation commercial aircraft that bring cost savings to our customers, exceptional comfort for their passengers, and fewer emissions,” said Embraer Commercial Aviation president and CEO John Slattery. “The E190-E2 and E195-E2 are already stellar performers. The E175-E2 is just as impressive. We’re eager to get working on certification.”

After departing from the runway adjacent to Embraer’s Faria Lima complex at 11:07 a.m. local time, the E175-E2 flew for 2 hours 18 minutes under the command of captain Mozart Louzada and first officer Wander Almodovar Golfetto. Flight engineers Gilberto Meira Cardoso and Mario Ito were also on board. The crew evaluated the fly-by-wire aircraft’s performance, flight quality, and systems behavior during the flight.

Three E175-E2s will be used in the certification campaign. The first and second prototypes will cover aerodynamic, performance, and system testing, while the third ship will be used to validate maintenance tasks and be outfitted with a full interior.

Compared with the first-generation E175, the Pratt & Whitney PW1700G-powered E175-E2 has an additional row of seats and can thus be configured with up to 90 seats. Embraer also claims the E175-E2 will have 16 percent lower fuel burn and a 25 percent reduction in maintenance costs per seat versus the E175.