Pair Sign Long-Term Agreement for Heavy Maintenance in Nashville

Embraer and Republic Airways have inked a new long-term deal, extending a multi-year maintenance relationship and dedicating three bays to serving the carrier’s more than 240 E170 and E175 jets. This secures 225 more heavy maintenance visits on top of the 650 already completed at Embraer’s Nashville facilities.

Embraer’s Services and Support division in Nashville, Tennessee, will remain the hub of activity, handling not just heavy checks but also component repairs and drop-in AOG (Aircraft on Ground) support when issues arise unexpectedly... as they often do.

“We are very excited to extend our relationship with Republic Airways,” said Frank Stevens, Vice President of MRO Services at Embraer Services and Support. “This renewed agreement reinforces our commitment to delivering high-quality maintenance services to our customers. We will continue to prioritize safety and quality for Republic Airways and all our customers across the United States.”

The partnership highlights a core part of Brazil-based Embraer’s aftermarket footprint in the US, built around keeping one of the nation’s largest E-Jet operators on its feet. Republic’s fleet nearly tops global charts for having such a dense concentration of E170 and E175 aircraft, making it a cornerstone customer for Embraer’s MRO operations.

Since their partnership began in 2011, Republic and Embraer have logged more than 3.3 million labor hours across over 650 heavy maintenance visits in Nashville. Securing dedicated space at Embraer’s facility effectively gives Republic a maintenance pipeline for its growing operations and puts a roof over its fleet’s head for the next decade or so.

Republic falls just short of the ‘largest E-Jet operator in the world title,’ with the crown currently sitting on SkyWest. The carrier is responsible for over 263 E175 jets under contracts with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, and others. Its own maintenance has seemed less stable than Republic’s, however, with recent Department of Transportation OIG reports criticizing the FAA's oversight of SkyWest's maintenance. The filing references issues with its "remote return-to-service" maintenance practices, inappropriate deferral of maintenance, and delayed corrective actions.

FMI: www.rjet.com, www.embraer.com