Embraer has signed new deals with Oman-based SalamAir and Royal Jordanian Airlines for E190 and E195 E2 aircraft, with both airlines seeking to boost connectivity on shorter flights.
SalamAir has signed a firm order for six E195-E2 aircraft, with purchase rights for a further six aircraft in a deal worth a total $934.6 million at list prices. The Muscat-based low-cost carrier said the aircraft will be delivered in a two-class configuration with 135 seats, starting at the end of 2023.
The airline’s chief executive, Captain Mohamed Ahmed, said the new aircraft will allow the airline to open up new routes to local and regional cities.
“The new fleet will be used on domestic flights initially, including the 4 oil fields and 4 international airports within Oman, as we receive more aircraft, we will be able to use them on regional airports in neighbouring countries which today are not connected to Oman,” Captain Ahmed said.
Meanwhile, Royal Jordanian signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Brazilian manufacturer at the Istanbul Air Show to introduce the E190-E2 and the E195-E2 to its fleet. The airline plans to operate 10 of the Embraer aircraft on short-haul routes within the region.
Royal Jordanian CEO Samer Majali noted that the carrier has been operating Embraer aircraft for 15 years now and choosing the same original type of aircraft will reduce the investment needed for pilot training and spare parts provisioning, plus help keep down crew scheduling and maintenance costs.
Royal Jordanian’s E195-E2s will seat 12 passengers in Crown Class and 108 in economy, while the smaller version will also feature 12 of the premium seats and 80 economy seats.
The preliminary deal for the E2 jets is part of a wider plan by Royal Jordanian to modernize its fleet. It has selected the A320neo for its narrow-body fleet and is in talks with Boeing on an order for wide-body aircraft.
Overall, the carrier plans to increase its fleet from 24 aircraft currently to over 40 in the next five years.