Embraer announced on Monday that it had obtained EASA type certification for the E190F freighter, which ADN reported last year after the European civil aviation agency updated the aircraft’s registrations.
With EASA’s approval, the aircraft thus has triple certification, since it had been approved by the US FAA and Brazil’s ANAC last year.
“EASA certification is a key milestone in our passenger-to-freighter conversion program. This is an exciting market, and we have developed the perfect aircraft to fill the gap, meeting the demand globally for faster deliveries, not just to metro areas, but all regions,” said Martyn Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation.
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Dubbed the E-Freighter Program, the regional jets’ cargo conversion is intended to fill a gap in the market between cargo turboprops and aircraft such as the Boeing 737-800BCF and Airbus A320P2F.
While the ATR 72-600F has a structural payload of 9.6 tons, the E190F can carry up to 13.5 tons and the E195F, 14.3 tons of cargo.
The range, of about 2,500 nm, is similar to a Boeing 737-300SF, but with much lower fuel consumption.
Only converted aircraft grounded
EASA’s type certification comes amid news of the loss of one of the program’s three customers, lessor NAC, which had placed an order to convert 10 aircraft from its fleet.
The first customer for the E190F was supposed to be Kenya’s Astral Aviation, which would fly NAC jets. But the company said that the aircraft is no longer in its plans due to the high cost.
There is also the Chinese Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group, which closed a deal to convert 20 aircraft, and another lessor, Regional One, associated with an order for 10 jets.
Regional One, in fact, is so far the only company to receive the only converted E190F that we know of, the aircraft registered as N986TA.
The jet, however, has been at Embraer’s facilities since January 26 after performing some local flights in Florida, USA, last year.
In a statement to Flight Global, Arjan Meijer, CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said that the company is looking to establish partnerships with MRO companies to carry out the conversion of the E-Freighters.
