In July, Porter Airlines became one of the biggest customers of Embraer’s E2 family of jets. The Canadian regional airline had ordered 30 E195-E2 jets in 2021, but during Farnborough 2022 in July, it expanded the order to 50 aircraft.
Only Azul has a larger order, for 51 E195-E2s, although the Brazilian company currently operates nine of these aircraft under lease.
The entry into service of the E195-E2 at Porter Airlines will be a milestone for the company, which currently operates only with Dash 8 turboprops. As a result, preparations for the arrival of Embraer’s planes have been well planned.
🎥 They’re built, painted, and ready for take off! Well…almost. Our @Embraer E195-E2 aircraft have begun their test flights in Brazil, checking off the final stage of the production process and taking us one step closer to launching our service across North America! pic.twitter.com/Q7eHvSNQxq
— Porter Airlines (@porterairlines) August 30, 2022
There are currently at least two aircraft ready, one of them carrying out flight tests, as the company itself revealed in a video this week. Delivery, however, should only take place in the fourth quarter, with the start of operations at the end of the year.
Flight simulator
Another important step was completed by the airline on Thursday when the first E195-E2 simulator was unveiled by FlightSafety International in Toronto.
This is the first simulator of the aircraft in North America and will be used to prepare the pilots of Porter, which in addition to the 50 jets ordered has another 50 purchase options.
“This is another step forward in our growth plans, as pilots will soon have the opportunity to begin their training ahead of our first E195-E2 flights later this year,” said Paul Moreira, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Porter Airlines.
Porter Airlines was one of the first airlines interested in the A220, even when it was a project by the Canadian Bombardier, the CSeries.
The airline reached an initial agreement, but ended up preferring the Brazilian jet as the basis for its expansion plan.
