LATAM Brasil Has Four Embraer E195-E2 Jets Ready at Embraer Facility
“Esta será a entrada em serviço mais rápida de uma aeronave narrowbody que já existiu no mercado, porque foram 13 meses entre o fechamento do contrato e o primeiro voo comercial,” stated Jerome Cadier, CEO of LATAM Brasil, during a Q3 results call.
Four Embraer E195-E2 jets were seen at the manufacturer’s facility in São José dos Campos, as reported, while LATAM prepares for the commercial launch of the model. Jerome Cadier released a photograph showing an Embraer hangar filled with LATAM aircraft, highlighting the rapid pace of deliveries. The picture was taken inside hangar F300 at São José dos Campos International Airport, home to Embraer’s delivery center.
The aircraft spotted in the hangar bear registrations PS-LTD, PS-LTE, PS-LTF, and PS-LTG, according to AEROIN. These represent units four through seven destined for LATAM Brasil. Three aircraft arrived previously to conduct crew training flights ahead of regulatory certification by ANAC, the national civil aviation agency.
Cadier noted that the airline received two units and would receive the third on a Wednesday. The firm order includes 50 purchase options that could increase the fleet to up to 74 aircraft, and the first 24 aircraft delivered under the plan arrive featuring internet connectivity and a premium product proposal.
Delivery volume will ramp up sharply through the end of the year. LATAM will receive an average of more than one aircraft per week from Embraer, flying the delivery route from São José dos Campos through Asunción, Paraguay, to Belo Horizonte/Confins, AEROIN reported.
The airline plans to operate 12 E2 jets by the end of December. LATAM will become the third Brazilian carrier to fly the model, following Azul Linhas Aéreas and Placar Linhas Aéreas, while GOL Linhas Aéreas of the Abra Group expects its first units around the middle of next year, per AEROIN.
The introduction of the E195-E2 gives LATAM an opportunity to expand into lower-density markets and increase domestic connectivity, Panrotas reported. Cadier explained that the aircraft reduces operational costs while eliminating middle seats in a two-by-two cabin configuration.
He praised the low noise level during flight and expressed strong excitement regarding the receipt of the E2, noting that the model will allow the airline to adjust capacity on routes where an aircraft smaller than the Airbus A320 and A321 works better.
Training new flight crews, mechanics, and qualified teams, and adapting operations at airports in smaller cities, are part of the operational changes created by the model, according to Panrotas. The aircraft also offers the possibility of connecting international passengers arriving through hubs like Guarulhos to destinations such as the agribusiness city of Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, and the oil and gas center of Macaé, Rio de Janeiro.
The first commercial flight is scheduled for November 30 between Guarulhos and Curitiba, AIRWAY reported. The airline will receive 12 jets through December 2026, reach 14 aircraft by March 2027, and scale up to the full 24-plane firm order across 2027.
Tracking data show that the first exemplar, PS-LTA, completed an inaugural flight in September followed by PS-LTB at the end of that month, while PS-LTA has visited airports such as Guarulhos, Curitiba, Brasília, and Sinop, and PS-LTB has flown extensively between Guarulhos, Brasília, and Curitiba. PS-LTC made at least one flight identified with the airline's code between Confins and Curitiba, following its initial flight in early October.
Homologation flights are already underway across regional facilities. The E195-E2 completed a special testing operation at Sinop Airport, and the inauguration of commercial flights between Rondonópolis and Guarulhos is slated for December 14, according to Só Notícias.
The model is also expected to integrate operations at other airports in Mato Grosso, including the Marechal Rondon International Airport in Cuiabá for flights heading to Curitiba starting in March of next year.