Royal Jordanian has announced an order for eight new Embraer E2 aircraft, four E190-E2 and four E195-E2, in a deal worth $635M at list price value.
Six of the aircraft (the four E190-E2s and two of the E195-E2s) will be procured through a deal with leasing company Azorra, while the remaining two are direct orders placed with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer. The latter order had been previously announced by Embraer as coming “from an undisclosed customer”.
The first deliveries are expected to take place before the end of 2023.
Royal Jordanian already operates four E-series aircraft (two E175 and two E195s) and has decided to make the new generation of this aircraft, the E2, the cornerstone of its growth plans. The Jordanian carrier aims to almost double its fleet in the next three to five years, increasing it from 24 to 40 aircraft.
Interestingly, in a region that has seen a preference for rather large aircraft, Royal Jordanian is opting for the relatively smaller E2s, which have a 2-2 seating layout and no middle seat as a distinctive feature. Royal Jordanian plans to operate the E2s in a two-class configuration, with 12 passengers in business, “Crown Class”, 108 in economy class on the E195 and 12 and 80 respectively on the E190s.
Embraer claims this family of aircraft being the most fuel-efficient in the market for jets under 150 seats.
As part of its growth expansion, Royal Jordanian is also adding new destinations in Europe and the Middle East in 2023, such as Stockholm (ARN), Düsseldorf (DUS), Bahrein (BAH) and the emerging tourist destination of Al Ula (ULH), in northwestern Saudi Arabia.