3/12/2004: Maiden Flight of the Embraer E190

DALLAS — Today, in 2004, the Embraer E190 aircraft (PP-XMA) from the Brazilian aerospace conglomerate took to the skies for the first time.

Embraer saw a gap in the market for a regional aircraft with mainline capabilities and came up with the ERJ-190, or E190. The type was not a new aircraft for the company but rather an evolution of a well-known aircraft family that started in 1997 under the denomination of E170, formally presented at the 1999 Paris Air Show. 

The two models were later renamed the Embraer E170 and E190 and evolved into the E175 and E195 aircraft. In essence, the E190/195 models are larger stretches of the E170/175 models fitted with a new, larger wing, a more prominent horizontal stabilizer, two emergency overwing exits, and two under-mounted GE 34-8E-10 turbofan engines.

Launch Customer

The launch customer for the E190 was JetBlue (B6), which ordered 100 aircraft and took 100 options, an opinion not shared by other portals such as Wikipedia, which cites Swiss airline Crossair as the launch customer with an order of 30 aircraft. 

FlightRadar24 indicates that 596 E190s are or have been in service with numerous major or more minor airlines, including Qantas (QF), Breeze (MXY), Myanmar Airways (8M), Guizhou Airlines ( G4), and WDL Aviation (WL).

More About the Embraer E190

The E190 is a narrow-body, single-aisle aircraft with a wingspan of 28.72 mt, a length of 36.24 mt, and a height of 10.57 mt. It is powered by two general electric CF34-10E turbofan engines delivering a trust of 18500lbs. 

The aircraft's operational weights are a maximum takeoff of 51800kg (114199 lbs), an empty weight of 13063kg (28800 lbs), and a maximum fuel of 12971kg (28596 lbs). The maximum speed tops at Mach .82 ( 871km/h or 541 mph) at 41000ft (12000 mt), and the maximum range stands at 2450nmi (4537km). It requires a 2100mt (6890ft) run to takeoff and 1244mt (4081ft) to land. 

The E190 can seat 100 to 114 passengers in a single class configuration or 96 in a dual-class setup, eight in first/business or premium, and 88 in economy class.

On March 7, 2022, Embraer confirmed its intent to enter the cargo market, offering E-190s and E-195s converted to freighters. The airframer expects the first ones to make their first flights in 2024.

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