Designing, producing and delivering high-quality, highly reliable products is the name of the game when you’re talking about aviation. For most travellers in Singapore, Airbus and Boeing are the names that come to mind when thinking of aircraft manufacturers. But between the two, there’s another name that travellers will start to see more of: Embraer.
As the latest aircraft type to be introduced at Changi Airport, what exactly is Embraer and what’s so special about them?
About Embraer
Embraer is the 3rd largest commercial jet manufacturer in the world, right after Airbus and Boeing. It was founded in 1969 in Brazil with help from the Brazilian government. Embraer’s aviation manufacturing journey began with the Bandeirante, a turboprop plane with a capacity for 15 to 21 passengers. It was designed for civilian and military purposes.
Today, Embraer has factories, offices, and distribution centres for aircraft parts and services across America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, and has since delivered more than 8,000 aircraft to meet international demand and quality.
In this day and age, safety is a priority for aircraft manufacturers and airlines all across the world. As anxiety skyrockets, passengers are looking for a more reliable option. Planes made by Embraer are among the safest aircraft in history with low fatality and hull loss rates. The proof is in the pudding—an Embraer aircraft takes flight every ten seconds and 145 million passengers fly on their planes annually.
Types of Embraer aircraft
To achieve Embraer’s vision of bringing excellence and performance to the skies, here are the main aircraft types in their commercial line.
E-Jets
Promising a fast turnaround of 15 minutes or less, E-Jets reduce unit costs at an increase of daily utilisation to maximise the bottom-line returns of airlines that have the E-Jets in their fleet. Comfort is at the forefront of the E-Jets—with their 2+2 seating configuration and no under-seat support rails—which gives passengers plenty of leg room to stretch in.
E-Jets E2
A superior performance is the key selling point of the E2. The second generation of E-Jets uses 16% less fuel compared to their predecessors as part of their move to be more sustainable. In the post-Covid world, the HEPA filters in the air conditioning system are a standard feature on this single-aisle, 2+2 seating configuration aircraft.
ERJ
A runway legend of the Embraer family, the ERJ are the de facto aircraft for operators looking for efficiency and versatility in their fleet when they are flying a regional network of routes (currently 36 airlines flying the ERJ in 26 countries). Able to carry up to 50 passengers, the ERJ’s cabin is made up of a 2+1 seating design.
Which airlines fly Embraer
Lately, Embraer has been making waves internationally, even in the United States where airlines have traditionally leaned more towards Boeing. United’s Skywest-operated planes are the world’s largest operator of the Embraer E175 aircraft, and even American Airlines is pushing to make its entire regional fleet Embraer by the end of this decade.
As most of Embraer’s aircraft are built for short-haul flights, you’ll mostly find their aircraft on regional routes in Europe, like the ones by LOT Polish Airlines.
Embraer planes are also popular on routes that fly out or to ‘difficult’ airports—like the ones that go through London City airport with their short runway with a steep 5.5-degree approach—due to their smaller and narrower designs.
Flying Embraer from Changi Airport
Since May 2024, Singapore-based budget carrier Scoot has been operating flights from Singapore to destinations in Southeast Asia on its new fleet of Embraer E190-E2 planes to complement its existing roster of aircraft in service.
Scoot’s Embraer jets will bring travellers to Sibu, Malaysia and increased flights to Koh Samui, Hat Yai and Krabi in Thailand, and Kuantan and Miri in Malaysia. With this, travellers will have more options when travelling to these destinations.
As this is the first time Embraer jets are operating in Singapore, the infrastructure and various systems at Changi Airport had to be adapted to enable the operations of this aircraft type. Some examples are the provision of aircraft parking positions on the tarmac to facilitate the docking of the jet at the aircraft contact stands, and the calibration of aerobridges to fit the size and height of the aircraft. Airport staff were also trained to familiarise them with various aspects of the new aircraft type, from aircraft refuelling to baggage handling.
In a world where travel is becoming more and more accessible to the masses, safety and reliability are top-quality to have when you’re taking to the skies. And with the way things are going, Embraer is making a powerful mark where it counts.
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