KLM Royal Dutch Airlines’ subsidiary KLM Cityhopper has taken delivery of its first Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, registered PH-NXA. The aircraft will be the first of the type in the regional airline’s fleet and is leased from ICBC Aviation Leasing. The delivery took place at Embraer’s production facilities in Brazil.

The delivery is the first of 25 aircraft currently on order by the carrier with options for ten additional aircraft should the airline wish to exercise them. Of the 24 remaining aircraft to be delivered, nine will be leased from ICBC Aviation with the remaining 15 leased from Aircastle Limited.

In a press release, Warner Rootliep, Managing Director of KLM Cityhopper, said, “The new E2 is really going to make a difference. The addition of the E195-E2 to our fleet is a vital part of our plane to reduce our carbon footprint at least 50% per [passenger/kilometer] by 2030.” 

Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, further reiterated the E2s environmental advances stating, “It’s the cleanest and quietest single aisle aircraft on the market today. KLM leads the airline industry in bold climate initiatives. KLM’s decision to choose the Embraer E2 is a powerful endorsement of the E2’s role in achieving those environmental goals.”

KLM Cityhopper already operates types from the Embraer E-Jet family with a mix of Embraer E175s and Embraer E190s currently in the fleet. At the time of writing, the airline operates 17 E175s and 32 of the larger E190s. 

Not only will the E195-E2 be the newest, most efficient type operated by the airline, it will also be the largest. While the E175 and E190 seat 88 and 100 passengers respectively, the E2 will be laid out in a 132 seat configuration. The aircraft will be split into three classes with 20 business class seats, 8 economy comfort seats, and 104 economy seats.

Up close with the interior of KLM Cityhopper’s E195-E2. (Photo: Embraer)

Embraer E2 Family

The Embraer E2 family consists of the E175-E2, E190-E2 and E195-E2. While the E175-E2 has no firm orders to date, the E190 and E195-E2 have had slightly better success. There have been 16 E190-E2s delivered to date with 6 more firm orders, but options for 61 aircraft still on the books. The delivery to KLM Cityhopper marks the 16th delivery of the E195-E2 and leaves Embraer with a backlog of 137 firm orders. Airlines around the world also hold options for 47 E195-E2s.

Due to technological advancements, the E2 family of aircraft offer much lower emissions and noise levels compared to their older counterparts. According to Embraer, noise footprint of the E2 is 60% smaller while carbon emissions are nearly 10% lower per trip.

The E195-E2 also offers additional range compared to the first generation of Embraer jets, with a published fully loaded range of 2,600 nautical miles, an increase of 300 nautical miles compared to the original E195.

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