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Will Embraer continue with the near-term certification of the E175-E2, or will the program be canceled or stretched out?

Aviation Week Regulatory and Air Transport Editor Ben Goldstein responds:

Embraer will continue development of the E175-E2, though its planned entry-into-service timeline has been delayed until 2023—from previous estimates of late 2021 to early 2022. The company attributes the slip to the weakened outlook for commercial aviation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

No firm orders for the E175-E2 have been recorded to date, suggesting an uncertain future for the type, although Embraer executives insist it will enter service “with more than adequate time . . . to meet market demand for the jet.” Regional operators contracting with the Big Three U.S. network carriers remain barred from operating the E175-E2 by pilot contract scope clauses, limiting its prospects in the world’s largest regional jet market.

In the meantime, Embraer will continue to produce and market the slightly smaller E175, which is compliant with U.S. pilot scope clauses. The company had 159 firm orders for the E175 as of June 30. The 76-seat, dual-class jet has emerged as the preferred regional jet for major U.S. carriers during the pandemic. Data from the manufacturer shows that 90% of the type’s combined fleet in the country has already returned to active service, compared with just 61% of all commercial narrowbodies.