Embraer reached a milestone on its E-Jets programme on 2nd December, with the delivery of the 1,300th aircraft. The E-Jet, an E195, was handed over to China’s Tianjin Airlines in a ceremony at the factory in São José dos Campos. This delivery brings the Tianjin Airlines E-Jet fleet to 45, the largest in Asia.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s 2014 state visit to Brazil, Embraer and Tianjin Airlines signed an agreement for up to 20 E195s and 20 E190-E2s. The first E2 is scheduled to be delivered to Tianjin Airlines in 2018.
Tianjin Airlines was one of Embraer’s earliest customers in China. In 2008, it became the first airline to operate an E-Jet in the country. It is also the Embraer Authorized Service Center in the region.
Embraer claims a market share of around 80% of regional jet orders in China. To date, the company has logged orders for 190 commercial aircraft, 21 of which are pending government approval.
Tianjin Airlines, part of China’s HNA Group, operates a fleet of 77 aircraft, mainly consisting of A320s, E190s and ERJ145s.
HNA has made a string of investments in Europe, most recently taking an 80% stake in Swiss MRO service provider SR Technics. Other targets have included Air France catering subsidiary Servair, Swiss airline catering specialist Gategroup, French airline Aigle-Azur, and Swissport, the world’s largest ground and cargo handling services provider.