Alaska Air Group has ordered nine Embraer E175 aircraft, a $449.1-million contract placement expands Alaska Air’s commitment to Embraer’s twin-engine narrow-body jet series. Alaska Airlines has 62 Embraer E175s in its fleet, which includes aircraft operated by subsidiaries Horizon Air and SkyWest Airlines.
Horizon Air is converting nine options from its April 2016 contract to firm orders, and with orders for three aircraft still to be delivered, Horizon will have a fleet of 42 E175s flying for Alaska Airlines.
Alaska Air Group also committed to buy eight more E175 aircraft with SkyWest Airlines.
The new-aircraft deliveries will begin in 2022. Once all 17 E175 aircraft announced are delivered, Alaska Air Group will have 79 E175s in its regional fleet operated by Horizon and SkyWest.
Embraer’s E175 is commonly used for regional and short- and medium-range routes. The OEM noted that it has been used by airlines to rebuild frequencies and add incremental capacity as domestic demand recovers, including Alaska Airlines replacing larger aircraft on some intra-Alaska routes.
There are currently 588 E175s in service with U.S. and Canadian carriers, according to Embraer’s Mark Neely, v.p., Sales and Marketing,
“We have navigated through the pandemic and we’re on a solid path to recovery. The E175 remains a key part of our strategy,” stated Alaska Airlines senior vice president Nat Pieper. “The E175 is a terrific plane to help us add new routes and frequencies, and to complement our mainline aircraft to meet fluctuating demand with the right capacity.”
Once all 17 E175 aircraft announced today are delivered, Alaska Air Group will have 79 E175s in its regional fleet operated by Horizon and SkyWest. Horizon is converting nine options from its April 2016 contract to firm orders. Added to Horizon’s three remaining firm orders on backlog, they will have a fleet of 42 E175s flying for Alaska Airlines, when all aircraft are delivered.
