Embraer’s E175-E2 Launch Delayed Till 2024

On Thursday, Embraer announced that there’d been a change on the proposed launch date of the E175-E2 by one year to 2024. This announcement confirms that the aircraft will begin commercial operations five years after its maiden flight.

This recent delay is not the first time the E175-E2 has been pushed back. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors, Embraer announced in August 2020 confirming that it will delay the aircraft development till 2023. Before the announcement was made, the E175-E2 was set to begin operations in the second half of 2021.

Speaking on the new delays, the aircraft manufacturer said,

“Given the current market conditions for commercial aviation, Embraer has rescheduled the start of operations of the E175-E2 by one year to 2024.”

Embraer’s Chief Financial Officer, Antonio Gracia, also said that,

“We rescheduled the entry into service for the E175-E2 to 2024 from 2023 because we don’t expect a scope clause change in the US in the next few months”.

Regardless of the delays, the manufacturer is going ahead with the certification work on the aircraft. The E175-E2 had its maiden flight in December 2019. Embraer was under a lot of pressure at the time to make its new-generation commercial plane a success, and since the pandemic started, the pressure has only continued to grow.

The E175-E2 has not recorded any sales yet, but there have been some orders. Experts believe that the only possible buyer of the aircraft as it stands is US carrier SkyWest. SkyWest placed an order for 100 E175-E2 planes back in 2013. However, Embraer has not recorded the order in its backlog due to delays and uncertainties.

For the E175-E2 to be a success, Embraer needs to have a specific date for delivering the aircraft, and since it targets the US market, airlines and pilots will have to review their current Scope Clauses.