Aircraft is first of 20 E-Jets for the Italian carrier


Embraer delivered the first EMBRAER 190 jet to Alitalia, today, in a ceremony at the manufacturer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil. This aircraft is part of an order announced in March 2011 for five EMBRAER 190 and 15 EMBRAER 175 jets by the Italian airline, and will be operated through a leasing agreement with Air Lease Corporation, based in the U.S.

“Delivering the E190 to Alitalia is a clear endorsement of the aircraft as the preferred equipment type in this capacity segment,” said Paulo César de Souza e Silva, Embraer President, Commercial Aviation. “The high degree of commonality between the E175 and the E190 will bring new efficiencies and cost savings, as the airline modernizes its fleet.”

The airline’s 100-seat EMBRAER 190 is configured in a single class. The aircraft will be used on Alitalia’s domestic and European network, out of seven airports: Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Turin, Venice, Naples, and Catania.

Alitalia was one of the first E-Jet operators, when it took delivery of the EMBRAER 170 for its Express division, in 2004. The 20 new aircraft will progressively replace Alitalia’s existing fleet of regional aircraft, and play a key role in developing the carrier’s ability to provide nonstop flights to short and medium haul destinations, while ensuring higher efficiency, lower emissions, and top-quality service.

“We welcome the EMBRAER 190 as the key aircraft to successfully meet our company’s strategic development plan,” said Rocco Sabelli, CEO of Alitalia. “This order will further reduce our fleet age, which is already among the youngest in Europe, and optimize it in terms of quality and efficiency to serve the Italian market and develop our intra-European network, specifically for our point-to-point network.”

Since they entered revenue service in 2004, Embraer has delivered over 800 E-Jets to 60 companies from 40 countries around the world. The versatile 70 to 120-seat four-aircraft family is flying with low cost airlines, regional services, and mainline carriers.

​Embraer press release, São José dos Campos, September 21, 2011

EMBRAER AND ALITALIA FINALIZE AN AGREEMENT FOR THE DELIVERY OF 20 E-JETS
Italian airline to add 15 EMBRAER 175s and five EMBRAER 190s to its fleet

Embraer and Alitalia have finalized an agreement for the delivery of 15 EMBRAER 175 and 5 EMBRAER 190 jets through a lease structure to be arranged by third parties.

“Benefiting from a strong reorganization, Alitalia is developing its regional network to meet new market and passengers requirements,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President & CEO. “We are very pleased with the renewed confidence that Alitalia has accorded to our E-Jets family. This proves that the flexibility and the operational performance of these aircraft are able to meet market requirements.”

The delivery of the new E-Jets is scheduled to begin in the third quarter 2011. The 88-seat EMBRAER 175s and the 100-seat EMBRAER 190s will be configured in a single-class layout. The aircraft will be used on the Alitalia’s domestic and European network, and will be based on the seven Italian airports: Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Turin, Venice, Naples and Catania.

The 20 new aircraft will progressively replace and enhance Alitalia’s existing fleet of 16 regional aircraft, contributing to develop its ability to provide direct links over short and medium haul destinations, without the need for stopovers, consistent with the evolution of market demand. Moreover, lowering the average age of Alitalia’s fleet, already one of the youngest in Europe, the new E-Jets will increase the efficiency levels of the Italian airline, from economic and environmental perspectives, by reducing fuel consumption.

“The choice of the Embraer E-Jets has been the result of a thorough analysis which involved not only all the main professional groups of Alitalia, but using an innovative method, also a sample of frequent flyer customers,” said Rocco Sabelli, CEO of Alitalia. “This important investment is in addition to those currently made on the Alitalia’s medium and long-haul range fleet, and represents an important step further in the process of providing service excellence to all Company’s customers.”

Embraer press release, São José dos Campos, March 21, 2011