Launched in March, the E-Jet P2F (Passenger to Freight) program already has its first customer, Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), the world’s largest regional aircraft leasing company.
The agreement was announced by Embraer on Monday and includes the conversion of 10 passenger jets to the E190F/E195F standard, with deliveries starting in 2024.
The conversion to cargo modification program will be carried out by Embraer at facilities in Brazil. The first aircraft destined for conversion will come from NAC’s fleet of E190/E195 jets, which has 146 aircraft of this type (in addition to another 28 E170 and E175 models, which are not included in the conversion program). The value of the deal was not disclosed.
“We are excited to work with Embraer in developing an operator base for the -E-Jets family freighters, as freighter conversions are a key element of our future portfolio strategy, given the cycle complete life of the aircraft,” celebrated Norman C.T. Liu, President and CEO of NAC.
For Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, the agreement with NAC “It’s great to be doing business with NAC, who has always been a strong supporter of Embraer and regional aviation. Having launched the E190F and E195F very recently, today’s announcement with NAC is a strong indicator of the demand we are seeing for our E-Jet freight conversions.”
According to Embraer, the E190F is designed to carry a payload of 10.7 tonnes while the E195F a total of 12.3 tonnes. Both will receive a side cargo door in the front left part of the fuselage to allow the loading of containers.
The list of modifications to the Embraer cargo aircraft also includes floor reinforcements, a cargo handling system in the cabin, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in the upper cargo compartment.
The P2F program places Embraer in a niche that currently lacks representatives in the air cargo transport market. The E190F and E195F models will be positioned between the turboprop cargo planes, such as the ATR 72-600F, and the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 narrowbody jets converted into freighters.
