Japan Airlines plans to close an order for regional jets in 2025, Yuji Saito, CEO of the airline, told Aviation Week.
According to the head of the carrier, deliveries of the aircraft will begin in fiscal year 2028, that is, from April of that year.
Although he did not name a manufacturer, Embraer appears as the most likely alternative since there are no other manufacturers operating in the segment of up to 100 seats.
Airbus could offer the A220-100, but it has a higher capacity. Swiss and ITA Airways, for example, fly with a single class with 125 seats, while Delta Air Lines has a cabin with 12 seats in business class and 97 in economy.
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J-Air, a subsidiary of the JAL Group, operates the Embraer E190 as its largest aircraft. The regional jet carries 15 passengers in business class and 80 in economy.
Demographic issue
However, demographic issues in Japan work against larger aircraft. The country’s population is shrinking and regional routes are unlikely to grow in the coming years.
In this scenario, Embraer has the E175, which can accommodate more than the 76 seats and single-class layout of the E170s currently operated by J-Air.
In addition, there is the E190-E2, an aircraft with more efficient performance but configured for around 114 seats in a single class layout.
Embraer recently showcased the E2 family in Japan for local operators, taking advantage of the end of Mitsubishi’s SpaceJet program.
The Japanese M100 and M90 jets would be direct rivals of the E-Jets and had orders from All Nippon and Japan Airlines. But the project has collapsed amid massive delays and skyrocketing costs.
The JAL Group also operates ATR turboprops, but Saito has made it clear that the plan is to take on new regional jets.
