Embraer’s E-Freighter has taken one of the aviation industry’s top plaudits, the OEM System Production category in the 2026 Aviation Week Program Excellence Award.
The awards honor programs that have demonstrated exceptional performance, extending their impact well beyond the product’s technical milestones. This recognition underscores the importance of innovative solutions and robust management practices.
The E190F E-Freighter, a conversion of the Brazilian company’s E190 E1 passenger aircraft,entered operational service earlier this month with launch customer Bridges Air Cargo. The company is part of Bridges Worldwide, which operates on behalf of the international logistics, courier and express community.
“The E-Freighter Program represents a new frontier for Embraer and the global air cargo market,” Embraer’s program director, commercial aviation, Marcelo Tocci said after the award was announced.
“In 29 months, our teams and partners worldwide transformed the proven E‑Jet platform into a highly capable, fully certified freighter designed to meet the specific demands of today’s e‑commerce logistics.
“With its exceptional payload, range, and turnaround performance, the E190F will help connect smaller cities, open new routes, and offer operators a modern, sustainable, and economically compelling solution.”
The E190F was launched to meet the changing demands of e‑commerce and modern trade, which require fast deliveries and decentralized operations, driving demand for rapid shipment distribution to secondary and tertiary markets. The jet was developed to fill a gap in the air cargo market and to replace older, less efficient models.
E-Jets converted to freighters offer more than 40% greater volume capacity, three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs of larger narrowbodies. When combining underfloor and main-deck capacities, the E-Freighter has a maximum structural payload of 13,500 kg.
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