Middle East Remains Difficult Market For Small Narrowbody Jets, Says Jetcraft Commercial President

The Middle East is likely to remain a difficult area for sales of both Embraer and Airbus small narrowbody jets, believes Jetcraft Commercial president, Raphael Haddad.

Traditionally, the region has proven challenging for manufacturers of small narrowbodies. Oman Air sold its small sub-fleet of Embraer 175s several years ago, and EgyptAir, an early adopter of the Airbus A220, disposed of them due to the now well-known issues with its Pratt & Whitney engines.

Few airlines in the region now operate the types, although Royal Jordanian is replacing its four existing Embraer E1s with eight E2 models. Oman’s SalamAir is also scheduled to receive E2s, but not until late 2026 / early 2027.

There are two reasons for the lack of orders, Haddad says. “The region’s low-cost carriers, whether Air Arabia or flydubai, have done a good job [with narrowbodies]. The wider point is that in the higher-yield markets, customers want comfort, even if it’s a half-hour flight. They want the larger seat.

“Royal Jordanian has done well with their regional jets. They configured them well.”

However, he foresees a potential regional jet market in Iraq and in North Africa, where there are long, thin routes.

“I think the E195 E2 will be a bigger success story than the E195 E1. We bought recently some E195 E1s [and] it’s not easy to move them.” Eventually, Jetcraft Commercial found a method of selling them on – for parting out.