With the presentation of the thousandth jet of the ERJ 145 family, in a ceremony held by Embraer, last Friday, September 28, at Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry Co. Ltd. (HEAI), in Harbin, China, this regional jet family reached the historic milestone of one thousand aircraft produced in a little over ten years.
The ERJ 145 jet S/N 1000 should fly in the colors of Grand China Express, an airline of the HNA Group that ordered 50 aircraft of this model, as well as 50 EMBRAER 190 E-Jets. From the delivery of the first airplane of the series to Continental Express (now Express Jet), in December 1996, to the present time, the ERJ 145 family has accumulated over 12 million flight hours, and an average mission completion of more than 99.7%. This feat makes the ERJ 145 Program one of the most successful in the aeronautics industry, worldwide.
The ERJ 145 family is recognized and valued for the great flexibility offered with hub feeder and point-to-point services, always operating profitably and efficiently. When demand is strong, Embraer ERJs expand operations to new markets and increase frequencies for existing services. In a weak demand environment, Embraer ERJs help network carriers to right-size aircraft capacity to market demand and preserve their competitive position, maintaining network integrity and overall market presence. The ERJ 145 family of jets, comprised of the ERJ 145 (50 seats), ERJ 135 (37 seats), the ERJ 140 (44 seats), and the ERJ 145 XR (an extended-range version of the original ERJ 145), offers airlines 98% commonality of parts and systems, as well as the same flight crew type rating, and is suited for high-frequency use, operating up to 2,500 hours per year.
In 2003, Embraer consolidated its presence in China by creating Harbin Embraer Aircraf Industry (HEAI) – a joint venture with China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II) – to manufacture aircraft from the ERJ 145 family of regional jets for the Chinese market. On June 30, 2007, the order book for the ERJ 145 family of regional jets had logged 915 firm orders and 131 options, totaling 1,046 aircraft. The ERJ 145 family is complemented by over 110 Legacy executive jets that fly in 20 countries, as well as the defense versions – AEW&C, P-99, and RS/AGS – for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operating in Brazil, Greece and Mexico.
