Carrier Was Launch Customer For Plane In Latin America

Panama’s Copa Airlines, launch customer for the Embraer 190 jet in Latin America, recently received its sixth airplane of this model. The plane is also the 200th E-Jet delivered.

"The delivery of our 200th E-Jet is an outstanding achievement for our new family of aircraft. We are honored that Copa Airlines, the first Latin America Embraer 190 operator and a leading airline in our region, is receiving this commemorative airplane," said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer Executive Vice-President, Airline Market. "With 15 Embraer 190 E-Jets on firm order, Copa Airlines is uniquely positioned to reap the benefits of our Embraer 170/190 E-Jets family, specifically designed for the 70 to 110-seat market."

The Panama flag carrier was the first airline to fly the Embraer 190 in Brazilian skies, with Manaus, in the Amazon region, as the destination. The airline has regularly scheduled passenger service with Embraer 190 jets, operating out of its Hub of the Americas in Panama City, serving 36 destinations in 21 countries.

Embraer says its airplanes allow Copa to better match capacity with demand in lower density markets that can be more efficiently served by aircraft with up to 100 seats.

"The Embraer 190 jets have provided our passengers with comfort, the latest in technology, and the same high-quality onboard service that we offer with our larger aircraft," said Larry Ganse, Senior Vice-President of Operations for Copa Airlines. "Our focus is on optimum operations and the new Embraer 190 jets are a fundamental factor in allowing us to add frequencies and destinations according to market needs."

The Embraer 190 may carry up to 114 passengers, and is one of the four models of the Embraer 170/190 E-Jet family, which also includes the Embraer 170, the Embraer 175, and the Embraer 195, seating up to 80, 88, and 122 passengers, respectively.

Embraer foresees a global demand for 6,100 jets in the 61 to 120-seat segment in the next 20 years, and expects this E-Jet family, specially designed for airlines, to win a significant share of the market.

The first E-Jet delivery was in March 2004. In the third quarter of 2006 alone, Embraer logged 87 new firm orders for the Embraer 170/190 family, totaling a backlog of 359 E-Jets.

FMI: www.embraer.com