Virgin Australia To Equip E190 E2 Fleet With Embraer’s AHEAD Predictive Maintenance System

Embraer has signed a long-term agreement with Virgin Australia to equip its E190 E2 fleet with the Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis (AHEAD) system.

AHEAD helps airlines implement digital predictive maintenance on an airline’s E-Jet fleet, using data to identify and predict potential problems before they become critical.

Virgin Australia has firm orders for eight E2s, with two aircraft already delivered. Its E190 E2 fleet is based in Perth, Western Australia, and operated by Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA).

Virgin Australia operates an extensive domestic network as well as short-haul international services, charter, and cargo operations.

AHEAD provides real-time monitoring of systems, including the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), fuel, pneumatics, hydraulics, avionics, engines, navigation, air conditioning, and flight controls. The platform collects data both in-flight and on the ground, applying analytics and predictive algorithms to support proactive maintenance.

These capabilities help operators reduce unscheduled downtime and optimize fleet availability. AHEAD also assists airlines by lowering both operational costs and CO₂ emissions, by eliminating avoidable fuel burn linked to maintenance issues.

“AHEAD will help us stay in front of maintenance issues…and help us strengthen operational performance across our network,” VARA executive GM, Nathan Miller, said.  

“This agreement with Virgin Australia underscores Embraer’s commitment to driving digital innovation in aviation,” Embraer Services & Support president and CEO, Carlos Naufe,l added.

“By integrating the AHEAD platform into the E2 fleet…these capabilities help Virgin Australia maximize fleet availability and improve overall operational performance.”