BermudAir will become the second airline to operate Embraer's E190F converted freighter, more than four years after the Brazilian manufacturer launched a program that initially targeted a market of hundreds of aircraft.
The Bermuda-based carrier will lease a single E190F from Regional One, which has five firm orders for the converted aircraft. It will be the first E-Freighter operated in the Americas and the third E190F to enter commercial service.
The other two aircraft are operated by Malta-based Bridges Air Cargo. The airline introduced the first E190F into commercial service in March 2026 and added a second aircraft in June.
BermudAir said it plans to use the freighter for express cargo, e-commerce and time-sensitive shipments across its network linking Bermuda and other Caribbean destinations with the United States and Canada.
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The E190F can carry up to 13.5 tonnes and offers more than 100 cubic meters of cargo volume across its main and lower decks. Embraer developed the conversion for the E190 and E195 passenger jets to occupy a niche between large turboprop freighters and Boeing 737-class converted aircraft.
Program started with much larger expectations
Embraer launched the E190F and E195F conversion program in March 2022, initially estimating a market for around 700 aircraft over 20 years. The business case was based partly on an expected supply of first-generation E-Jets reaching the end of long-term passenger leases and becoming available for conversion.
The market subsequently developed differently. Delays in deliveries of new aircraft helped extend demand for existing jets, while lessors have reported strong demand and limited availability of first-generation E-Jets. That has made passenger E190s and E195s more valuable than originally anticipated when the freighter program was conceived.
The program also lost its intended launch operator. Kenya-based Astral Aviation had planned to operate two E190Fs supplied by Nordic Aviation Capital, but abandoned those plans in 2023. Chief executive Sanjeev Gadhia said at the time that the aircraft's value proposition no longer suited the airline's fleet strategy.
In July 2026, lessor Azorra placed an order for 20 E190F conversions and secured purchase rights for another 10, the largest commitment to the E-Freighter program so far.
A220s will replace passenger E-Jets
BermudAir is itself a relatively young operator. The airline began flying in September 2023 with two E175s and an unusual premium-focused business model. Its original plan called for the aircraft to be reconfigured with just 30 seats in a 1-1 layout, although the carrier abandoned the all-business-class concept shortly after launch and adopted a two-class cabin instead.
The airline has since added two E190s, taking its passenger fleet to four aircraft, and expanded beyond its original Bermuda links with the United States and Canada into other Caribbean and Central American markets.
BermudAir is now preparing for a much larger expansion. In July, the airline announced a firm order for 10 A220-300s, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027. Founder and CEO Adam Scott said the carrier plans to more than double its network from the 11 routes it operated at the time and could expand its A220 fleet to as many as 20 aircraft by 2030.
The E190F will open a separate business for the airline. BermudAir said the aircraft will carry express cargo, e-commerce shipments and time-sensitive freight across the islands and North American markets it already serves.
