Embraer has unveiled its first completed E-Freighter conversion, transforming a jet from a passenger aircraft to an all-cargo configuration.
Embraer announced in July 2022 that it was entering the air freight market and would be converting both E190 and E195 jets into freighter aircraft, designated as E190F and E195F respectively.
Ath the time the planemaker cited “changing demands of e-commerce and modern trade” as one of the key reasons behind its new ambitions.
On December 1, 2023, the first E-Freighter conversion was unveiled at Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, along with a fascinating video revealing the modifications that took place.
According to the video shared by Embraer, the E190 jet was fitted with a reinforced floor and a new rigid cargo barrier (RCB) was installed.
Perhaps most importantly though, a large new door was cut into the fuselage to allow for goods to be loaded onto the aircraft and then taken off.
Take a look at our newest member of the E-Jet Family, the E-Freighter! Here’s how we converted an E190 from all-passenger to all-cargo configuration.#EFreighter #AccelerateOpportunity #Embraer #WeAreEmbraer #EmbraerStories pic.twitter.com/7c1B3VPZkt
— Embraer (@embraer) November 30, 2023
The full freighter conversion is available for all pre-owned E190 and E195 aircraft, with entry into service expected in early 2024.
Embraer sees a market for this size of plane of approximately 700 aircraft over 20 years. The Brazilian manufacturer believes that its E-Jets are positioned perfectly between turboprops and larger narrowbody jets to take advantage of the huge growth of global E-Commerce.