Kenya Airways takes delivery of second Embraer 190 regional jet

3142

Kenya Airways has taken delivery of its second Embraer 190 as it proceeds with its route expansion programme, brining its Embraer fleet to seven. Another three Embrear 190s will be delivered within the next year, the airline has announced.

The second E190 touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on June 1 after a flight from the Embraer factory in Brazil. It was received by Kenya Airways Technical Director Tom Kadoyo.

The first E190 arrived on schedule in Kenya on January 4, landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. It is used on medium to long range African flights while the second aircraft is dedicated to southern and central African routes.
“With our route network expansion firmly on course, the addition of a new aircraft into the fleet is quite timely,” said the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Titus Naikuni. He added that the increase in capacity had been necessitated by growing regional passenger and cargo demand and a rapidly expanding route network.

The two E190s are being leased from US-based leasing company Jetscape, for a period of eight years. Financing was provided by the Brazilian export credit bank, BNDES, under Jetscape’s existing financing facility.
“We are thrilled about our expanding relations with Kenya Airways, Kenya’s national flag carrier and named as Africa’s Business Airline of the Year in 2010. They have truly lived up to their slogan as “The Pride of Africa” and we are happy to be doing more business with them,” said John Evans, Jetscape’s Chairman and CEO.
“We appreciate Kenya Airway’s trust in Jetscape and we wish them great success with their growing fleet of Embraer’s modern and efficient E-Jets. This is also the sixth new E-Jet that BNDES has financed for Jetscape. We value BNDES support and continuing confidence in Jetscape.”
“The Embraer 190 is a high-tech regional jet fitted with the latest avionics and a full in-seat IFE system. It will bring to our fleet a still higher level of technological improvement, helping lower maintenance and operational costs and providing the customers excellent cabin comfort in a true dual-class arrangement of 12 business class and 84 Economy seats”, Bram Steller, Kenya Airways Chief Operating Officer said in January.

The first E190 was put into service on the Lusaka, Lilongwe, Nampula, Harare and Addis Ababa-Djibouti routes.

Kenya Airways’ E190s are configured with just under a hundred seats and feature a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system.

The airline also operates five E170 Long Range jets. “The combination of the E170 and E190 in our network will offer greater flexibility in right-sizing the aircraft to meet route demand, using the same crew and ensuring consistent, high comfort for our passengers,” Naikuni said.

With the delivery of the E190, Kenya Airways total fleet now stands at 32 with four Boeing 777-200ERs; six 767-300ERs; five 737-800s; four B737-700s; six 737-300s, five E170s and two E190s.