The series of small passenger jets that make up the Embraer E-Jet family were developed in the early 2000s by the Brazilian company of the same name. The Embraer aircraft come in four versions of varying size: the Embraer 170 (capable of fitting up to 78 passengers), the Embraer 175 (86 passengers), the Embraer 190 (98 passengers) and the Embraer 195 (108-118 passengers). All of these planes have over 90% of their parts and components in common, making them very easy to maintain. This particular feature made the Embraer project a huge success and helped the company rise to join the ranks of the largest aircraft manufacturers in the world.
The first plane of the series was the Embraer 170, first flown in 2002 and shortly afterwards purchased by Embraer’s first client, LOT Polish Airlines. The following year, in 2005, the second version of plane entered service with Air Canada, under the name Embraer 175. The new design had a longer fuselage and a greater passenger capacity than the 170.
The larger Embraer 190/195 series were developed in parallel to the 170/175, featuring broader wings and more powerful engines. Its passenger capacity of around 100 people and range of 3,000-4,000 km allowed airline companies to set up air routes between isolated towns and minor cities that had previously been uneconomical. Both the Embraer 190 and 195 began making commercial runs in 2006, for the companies JetBlue Airways and Flybe, respectively.
Currently the Embraer family is the best-selling regional aircraft in the world, with almost 900 planes manufactured as of the end of 2012 and orders placed for over 600 more.
To take the project further Embraer has developed and started manufacturing upgraded airliners called Е175-Е2, Е190-Е2 и Е195-Е2. These planes feature stretched wings with better aerodynamics, new engines and avionics as well as the renewed passenger cabin. New generation planes of the E-Jet E2 family entered service in 2018.
