Andrew Doyle/MUNICH
Embraer has launched its new family of 70/108-seat regional jets with a commitment from Crossair for up to 160 aircraft. The deal, involving about 60 firm orders, covers 70-seat ERJ-170s and 108-seat ERJ-190-200s for delivery from late 2002.
The Swiss regional carrier has orders and options for at least 40 smaller ERJ-145s, which will be handed over from early next year.
Fast-expanding Crossair is turning its attention to replacing its 12 160-seat Boeing MD-80s. It expects to choose between the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families by the middle of next year.
Embraer has selected the General Electric CF34-8E engine to power the ERJ-170/190 family, rejecting BR715 proposals from BMW Rolls-Royce and an SPW16 offer from Snecma/Pratt & Whitney Canada.
Crossair says it chose the ERJ-170/190 over the recently launched Fairchild Aerospace 728JET family for several reasons after "a tough race". The airline favours the four-abreast seating configuration of the Brazilian types, eliminating the middle seat of Fairchild's five-abreast cabin.
Crossair also influenced Embraer's selection of key suppliers for the ERJ-170/190 programme and secured life-cycle cost guarantees covering items such as the avionics, undercarriage and air conditioning system.
"We had a big say in the selection of the vendors," says Crossair vice-president Andre Dosé.
The airline has decided against acquiring the 90-seat ERJ-190-100, which Dosé describes as "too close in size" to the ERJ-170.
Although Crossair had argued against Fairchild's selection of the CF34 for its 728JET family during its evaluation of that type, Dosé says the carrier "is happy with the decision" by Embraer to pick the same engine. The stretched ERJ-190-200 will require a refanned version of the CF34, but Dosé says the competing engine manufacturers would have had to do the same.
Crossair will use its ERJ-170s and 190s to replace British Aerospace Avro RJ85s and RJ100s and to provide significant extra capacity. Some of the aircraft are expected to be allocated to other Qualiflyer Group carriers, such as Air Littoral, Tyrolean and Sabena subsidiary DAT.
The order for 50-seat RJ-145s, plans for which were revealed by Flight International this year, will allow the airline to begin replacing Saab 340 and 2000 turboprops (Flight International, 21-27 April). These commitments can be converted to the 37-seat ERJ-135.
Competition is hotting up in the 70/110-seat sector of the regional jet market, with Lufthansa CityLine last month placing a $1.6 billion order for Fairchild 728JETs. Bombardier recently flew its 70-seat CRJ-700 and is developing its proposed 90/110-seat BRJ-X family, while BAe is studying an Avro RJ update.
Source: Flight International
