Azul says it has finally overcome the engine availability problems that kept part of its Embraer E195-E2 fleet on the ground for much of the past four years.
CEO John Rodgerson said during the Brazilian airline's second-quarter earnings call on August 14 that all of its E2 fleet is now operational following improvements in the availability of Pratt & Whitney PW1900G engines.
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The statement does not mean that every E195-E2 is flying at any given moment. Aircraft continue to enter maintenance as part of normal operations. PS-AEQ, for example, is currently undergoing maintenance, but there is no indication that its absence is related to the prolonged engine availability problems that affected the fleet.
The distinction is important after years in which Azul routinely had E2s parked because engines or replacement parts were unavailable.
Azul was particularly exposed to problems involving Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan family because both its E195-E2 and Airbus A320neo fleets use versions of the engine. President Abhi Shah said during the same earnings call that the number of A320neos grounded because of Pratt-related issues should also fall to zero within 15 to 30 days.
Source of spare parts
The E2 situation had become severe enough that Azul accepted two virtually new E195-E2s without initially intending to operate them.
PS-KSA and PS-KSB were acquired as a source of spare parts and stored at a remote airport with no scheduled commercial service. The unusual decision provided Azul with components that could be removed to support the active fleet at a time when obtaining parts through conventional supply channels was difficult.
One of those aircraft has now returned from that unusual fate. PS-KSA was removed from storage and prepared for commercial operation during recent weeks. The aircraft, built in 2024, underwent work at Azul's maintenance facilities in Campinas and has since entered revenue service.
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PS-KSB remains stored. The aircraft was delivered to Azul in September 2025 and transferred to the airport shortly afterward, where it has remained parked.
That creates a small discrepancy in how Azul's E2 fleet is counted. The airline officially reported receiving its 42nd E195-E2, PS-ADO, in March. Fleet databases such as Planespotters.net, however, count 45 E195-E2 airframes associated with Azul, including aircraft such as PS-KSA and PS-KSB that were not originally treated by the airline as normal additions to its operating fleet.
Pratt problems hit early E2 operations
Azul was the launch operator of the E195-E2, placing the type into commercial service in 2019. The airline subsequently built the world’s largest fleet of the model, although it has since been overtaken by Porter Airlines in Canada. That scale still made Azul particularly exposed to the availability problems affecting the PW1900G engines.
The PW1900G belongs to Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan family, which has suffered several durability and supply-chain problems. The situation became more difficult after RTX disclosed in 2023 that a manufacturing issue involving powdered metal used in some engine components would require accelerated inspections and removals across part of the GTF-powered fleet.
For airlines, the problem was compounded by long turnaround times for engines sent to maintenance shops. Aircraft could remain parked not because of problems with the airframe itself, but because no serviceable engine was available to return them to operation.
Azul's latest assessment suggests that this period is finally ending for its E195-E2 fleet.
The airline is also preparing to resume growth with the type after modifying its Embraer commitments during its Chapter 11 restructuring. Azul expects three additional E2 deliveries in 2026, followed by five aircraft per year from 2027 through 2029.
