RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The largest commercial airplane manufactured in Brazil made, on Wednesday, October 16th, its inaugural flight by Azul, departing from Viracopos, in Campinas (São Paulo State), to Brasília.
Manufactured by Embraer, the E195-E2 aircraft can carry up to 146 passengers, 18 more than the previous E195 version, and consumes about 25 percent less fuel.
The president of Azul, John Rodgerson, said that the company has already ordered 50 units of the new aircraft, which should be received over the next two years. He said that today, Azul flies to 105 cities and intends to reach 150 destinations within the next five years.
The inaugural flight, carrying only guests, took off in the morning from Viracopos Airport, one of the most used by the airline, and landed in Brasília, where the aircraft was launched during a ceremony attended by the Presidential Chief of Staff, Onyx Lonrezoni, and the Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcísio de Freitas.
According to Minister Freitas, in addition to the granting of concessions for airports operated by Infraero, the government intends to invest in the development of regional aviation. This year, 12 airports have already been tendered. It is expected that next year, 22 more terminals will be included, and by the end of 2021, there will be 19 more airports up for privatization.
Embraer’s new plane can reach a distance of up to 4,537 kilometers and fly at a speed of 870 km/h. The E195-E2 is also able to carry a greater volume of payload, which should help Azul, a company that already uses Embraer aircraft, to fly to new destinations.
Source: Agência Brasil