Irish lessor Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has signed an agreement with Embraer for the lease of up to 10 E190 and E195 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) converted jets, becoming the launch customer.
The first deliveries of the E190 and E195 converted freighters are expected to begin in 2024. The aircraft for conversion will come from NAC’s existing E190 and E195 fleet. Both E190 and E195 freighter conversions will take place at Embraer’s facilities in Brazil.
“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,” Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said.
#NEWS | Nordic Aviation Capital (@nac_dk) is the 1st customer for our E-Jet Passenger-to-Freighter conversion program. The lessor will convert up to 10 E-Jets. Read full news: https://t.co/1pDvCzojfD #E190F #E195F #EmbraerStories #WeAreEmbraer pic.twitter.com/m3D4OmSiNn
— Embraer (@embraer) May 9, 2022
The news comes two months after Embraer launched the E190 and E195 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program.
“Embraer sees a market for this size of airplane of approximately 700 aircraft over 20 years,” the manufacturer said in a statement dated March 2022, adding that the full cargo conversion would extend the life of the aged E-Jets by 10 to 15 years.
“With more than 1,600 E-Jets delivered globally, customers of this new freighter segment will benefit from well established, mature, global services network, in addition to a comprehensive portfolio of products ready to support their operation from day one,” said Johann Bordais, president and CEO at Embraer Services and Support.
According to Embraer, E190 and E195 passenger-to-freighter converted jets will have more than 50% extra volume capacity than large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs than narrow-body aircraft.