United Airlines has signed a deal with Brazil’s Embraer at the Paris Air Show on June 17, 2019, for a total of 39 E-Jets that will go to its regional branch, United Express.
The contract, worth $1.9 billion at list prices, consists of 20 firm orders and 19 options for E-175 jets in a 70-seat configuration. Deliveries of the planes are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2020, an official press release by Embraer states.
“The E175, operated by our regional partners, has proven to be an important part of our fleet as we continue to grow our mainline airline and provide an enhanced customer experience,” commented United Airlines CFO Gerry Laderman in the official statement.
The new E175s will be used to replace older aircraft operated at United Express regional affiliates such as ExpressJet Airlines, Mesa Airlines and SkyWest Airlines, which operate around 153 E-175s for the mainline carrier, Flight Global points out.
United Express can only have up to 225 aircraft with 70-76 seats in its regional fleet under its contract with pilots. The regional branch flies the CRJ-100/200, CRJ-700, as well as E-170s, according to planespotters.com data.
