In a new expansion of the feeder fleet and as a sign of the industry recovery after the COVID-19 crisis, Embraer has secured the sale of 16 new E175 jets to SkyWest for operation in the Delta Air Lines network, adding to the 71 aircraft the Utah-based carrier already operates for Delta.
The 76-seat aircraft will be delivered in Delta’s livery and will have a three-class configuration. Deliveries start in mid-2022.
The E175 aircraft will fly exclusively with Delta under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA). The value of the contract, set to be included in Embraer’s third-quarter backlog, is USD 798.4 million, based on list prices.
President and CEO of SkyWest, Chip Childs, said, “SkyWest operates more E175s than any other carrier in the world. With these aircraft, we will have nearly 240 E175s operating with airlines in North America. This month we are proud to reach two million flight hours in the E175. Our customers love the E175, and we have great confidence in and appreciate our partnership with Embraer. ”
Mark Neely, VP Sales and Marketing for The Americas, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “Our superb partnership with SkyWest continues with this new provision for Delta. The E175 is the backbone of the North American regional market, and as the industry begins to emerge from the pandemic we are seeing growing long-term demand for rightsized aircraft to deliver profitable domestic connectivity.»
«The E175 has been a lifeline for carriers as they are perfectly suited to rebuild routes, add frequencies, and add incremental capacity to meet rebounding domestic demand,” Neely concluded.