Embraer achieved first flight of its passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion on 5 April, with the first example of the E190 Freighter taking to the skies over Sao Jose dos Campos.
The E190F flew for about 2h, allowing the Embraer team to complete an evaluation of the aircraft. The jet will undergo further flight-testing before being delivered to US lessor Regional One, Embraer says.
The company has previously stated that it intends to deliver the E190F in the second quarter of 2024.
“We are very pleased with E190F’s and E195F’s fast progress during the testing period,” says chief executive Francisco Gomes Neto. “These jets will be important tools for our customers and allow them to work with more agile and decentralised deliveries.”
The jet was unveiled during a ceremony for employees on 30 November. Successful ground pressurisation and cargo-loading testing preceded the P2F aircraft’s maiden sortie.
Combining capacity under the floor and on the main deck, the E190F will have a maximum payload of 13,500kg (29,762lb), while the larger E195F will have a payload of 14,300kg.
Embraer touts that the converted E-Jets will have 50% more volume capacity and three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and 30% lower operating costs than large narrowbody jets.
The Brazil-based airframer launched the P2F programme in 2022, seeking to capitalise on cargo demand driven by e-commerce and to extend the lives of its ageing passenger E-Jets.
“The E-Freighter program opens a new business opportunity for Embraer, meeting e-commerce’s growing global demand for cargo transport and matching the high-tech E-Jets family to an unbeatable operational performance,” says Gomes Neto.
Embraer secured a deal with China’s Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group for 20 E-Jet P2F conversions at the Paris air show in June 2023. It had previously secured an order for 10 units from Irish lessor Nordic Aviation Capital, with Kenyan cargo carrier Astral Aviation to be the operator.
