Will Be Operated By Regional Subsidiary J-AIR
Embraer delivered the first Embraer 170 jet to Japan Airlines
(JAL) Friday. According to the contract signed by the two companies
in June of last year, JAL has a total of 10 firm orders for the
Embraer 170, with options to purchase another five airplanes of the
same model.
The Embraer 170 is configured to seat 76 passengers in a
single-class layout, and will be operated by J-AIR, which is a
fully-owned subsidiary of JAL, serving the company's regional
network in Japan.
"It is a great pleasure to deliver the first Embraer 170 to a
customer as distinguished as JAL, recognized worldwide for its
operational excellence," said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer
President & CEO. "As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of
Japanese immigration to Brazil, all of us at Embraer are deeply
honored to see our E-Jets flying in the skies of Japan and in the
colors of Japan Airlines."
"Japan Airlines is delighted to be the first carrier in Japan to
welcome the Embraer 170 jet into its fleet," said Haruka
Nishimatsu, JAL Group President & CEO. "The aircraft features
interior comfort and state-of-the-art equipment that will provide
our passengers with an outstanding in-flight experience. This jet
will enable the JAL Group to develop business operations on its
domestic routes more efficiently, and take full advantage of the
business opportunities that will arise from airport expansion in
the Tokyo metropolitan area in 2010."
Embraer's E-Jets family is one of the aircraft programs that has
enjoyed the greatest success in the world's commercial aviation
market. By June 30, 2008, it had logged 847 firm orders and 827
options. Today, this family has been ordered by more than 50
customers in 30 countries, worldwide. Over 430 aircraft are already
in operation, surpassing 2 million flight hours.
The JAL Group is Asia's largest airline, in terms of the number
of passengers carried. In FY2008, ended March 31, 2008, some 55
million passengers flew with JAL and its seven subsidiary airlines.
The JAL Group airlines serve 216 airports in 34 countries and
territories, including 60 airports in Japan. The network extends
over 246 international passenger, 37 international cargo, and 154
domestic passenger routes.
Altogether, the eight airlines of the JAL Group make up to 1,200
flights a day on domestic and international routes. J-AIR is a
Japanese regional airline based in Nagoya (Komaki) airport, and a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan Airlines International. Using the
JL prefix, J-AIR operates 60 flights per day on 15 routes serving
Nagoya, Sapporo, Osaka (Itami), Fukuoka, and other major cities in
Japan.