Caliphate Air has received its first Embraer E190 in Nigeria. The aircraft adds a larger type to the startup’s launch fleet, which so far consists entirely of secondhand regional jets from the Brazilian manufacturer.
The E190 arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on August 28 after a ferry flight that began a day earlier in Opa-locka, Florida. The aircraft traveled via Paramaribo, Suriname, and Sal, Cape Verde, before reaching Nigeria.
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Registered 5N-ALU, the aircraft is a 13-year-old E190LR with manufacturer serial number 19000613. It was built in 2013 and originally delivered to China Southern Airlines as B-3218.
The aircraft later passed to lessor CDB Aviation and flew for Vietnam’s Bamboo Airways as VN-A262. After leaving Bamboo’s fleet, it was transferred to US aircraft trading and leasing company Regional One, where it carried registration N613GM before its delivery to Caliphate Air.
Another E190 is also being prepared for the Nigerian startup. The aircraft, MSN 19000529 and previously registered N529HG in the United States, was seen at Opa-locka in late August ahead of its planned transfer to Caliphate Air.
The two larger regional jets join a pair of Embraer ERJ145s already acquired by the airline. The 50-seat aircraft, registered 5N-SOK and 5N-SOL, arrived in Nigeria in July.
Caliphate Air has yet to begin scheduled passenger services. The Abuja-based carrier is completing the regulatory process required to launch operations and plans to use the Embraer fleet on domestic and regional routes.
The arrival of the E190 also provides a tangible update to plans disclosed earlier this year. When Air Data News reported on Caliphate Air in February, the startup was preparing to launch with ERJ145s while considering larger E-Jets, including the E170 and E190. The carrier has since selected the E190 for the higher-capacity segment of its fleet.
Embraer finds fertile market in Nigeria
Caliphate Air is the latest of several Nigerian carriers to build their fleets around Embraer regional jets, with the country developing into one of the manufacturer’s most significant markets in Africa.
Air Peace has aircraft from several generations of the Embraer portfolio. Its fleet includes ERJ145s and E195-E2s, while the airline has also acquired E190s from the secondhand market and received its first new E175 in June 2026.
Rano Air relies on the ERJ145 for its domestic network, while United Nigeria Airlines has introduced both the ERJ145 and E190. Overland Airways, meanwhile, has chosen new-generation E175s as it replaces smaller turboprops and expands its network.
The concentration is particularly notable in the secondhand market. ERJ145s and first-generation E-Jets such as the E190 offer Nigerian airlines smaller capacities than Boeing 737 and Airbus A320-family aircraft, an important characteristic for domestic and regional routes where demand may not support larger narrowbody jets at the desired frequency.
Nigeria is far from the only African market for Embraer aircraft. E-Jets and ERJ family aircraft can be found across the continent at airlines including Kenya Airways, Royal Air Maroc and Airlink, among several smaller carriers. The newer E2 family has also begun to establish a presence in Africa.
