British Airways has signed a contract with Embraer for 11 E-Jets.
The company has ordered six Embraer 170 and five Embraer 190SR jets, to be operated by BA CityFlyer, the wholly owned regional subsidiary that operates international and domestic routes from London City Airport.
The deal will modernise CityFlyer's regional fleet, which currently operates a fleet of 10 Avro RJ100 and two RJ85s. The company also has options for another three 190SR jets. The contract value of the E-Jets firm orders is US$ 376.5 million, at list price, based on January 2008 economic conditions, and could reach US$ 489 million, if all options are confirmed.
The first BA CityFlyer EMBRAER 170, configured with 76 seats, is scheduled for delivery in September 2009. The larger EMBRAER 190SR will seat up to 98 passengers. Both will have a single-class layout. British Airways say the new aircraft will be greener and more fuel efficient with significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions.
“We are absolutely delighted to win this order from such an internationally renowned, world-class airline. This marks a great achievement for Embraer and the E-Jets family,” said Mauro Kern, Embraer Executive Vice President, Airline Market. “It is a privilege to have our E-Jets chosen as the backbone for modernizing BA CityFlyer’s fleet in its operations out of London City Airport, where the very short runway and the noise restrictions are highly demanding.”
The Embraer 170 obtained steep approach certification to operate at London City Airport in June 2007. This approach uses a software solution developed within the existing fly-bywire system, which means improved flight quality and control and reduced pilot workload, with less weight and maintenance cost. The Embraer 190SR is currently undergoing a series of engineering evaluation tests with a view to receiving its steep approach certification by the end of 2009.
“We are very excited about this new fleet of fuel-efficient aircraft, which will not only meet our environmental objectives but, also, deliver a product with more space and comfort for our customers,” said Peter Simpson, Managing Director of BA CityFlyer.
“This significant investment in new aircraft further demonstrates British Airways’ commitment to services into and out of London City for our customers. Having the combination of the Embraer 170s and Embraer 190s in the same fleet will give us greater flexibility, enabling us to match capacity with demand on routes within our existing and future network. The Embraer E-Jets family was selected after a detailed analysis to find a suitable replacement for our aging regional fleet and one that offered us a greater range for existing and planned new destinations.”
In order to support its new Embraer fleet during the next ten years, British Airways also signed the Embraer Pool Flight Hour Program, which provides optimised inventory control at reduced initial investments for parts and infrastructure.
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