Embraer has secured a new support contract with Portugália Airlines for the 19 E-Jets operated on behalf of TAP Air Portugal.
The agreement announced on Thursday covers 12 Embraer E190s and seven E195s operated by Portugália under the TAP Express brand. The airline is wholly owned by the TAP Group and operates exclusively for TAP under an ACMI arrangement.
Embraer said the program will provide support for more than 300 components across several E-Jet systems, including component exchanges, repairs and overhauls.
The Brazilian manufacturer said the agreement is intended to increase aircraft availability while reducing the need for Portugália to maintain its own inventory of spare components.
Return to Embraer support
The deal also brings Portugália back to Embraer’s Pool Program after a period using another supplier.
“After a brief experience with an alternative provider and after decades being supported by Embraer through the Pool Program, which we helped create during the launch of the Embraer ERJ145, we felt it was the right decision to return to this program,” Portugália CEO Mário Lobato de Faria said.
Portugália has a long history with Embraer aircraft. The Lisbon-based airline helped introduce the ERJ145 regional jet in Europe and currently relies entirely on first-generation E-Jets for its operations.
Its 19 E190 and E195 aircraft primarily serve destinations in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe, as well as Morocco. Portugália accounts for approximately 25% of TAP Group flights.
Lufthansa set to become TAP shareholder
The support agreement comes as TAP prepares for a significant change in ownership. The Portuguese government selected Lufthansa Group to acquire a 44.9% stake in TAP Air Portugal, with another 5% reserved for employees. The transaction will make the German airline group the largest private shareholder in TAP while the Portuguese state retains control.
Lufthansa has outlined plans to develop TAP within its multi-airline group while maintaining Lisbon as an important hub, particularly for services connecting Europe with Brazil, Africa and the Americas.
The German group is itself a major Embraer customer. Lufthansa CityLine and Air Dolomiti have operated E-Jets, while Lufthansa Group placed an order for up to 100 E195-E2 aircraft in 2025 for its regional fleet renewal.
Portugália’s current E190 and E195 fleet therefore enters the new ownership structure as an established part of TAP’s regional network, although neither TAP nor Lufthansa has announced plans to replace the aircraft.
Embraer’s Pool Program provides operators with access to a shared inventory of components under performance-based agreements, reducing the number of spare parts individual airlines need to hold.
