Embraer E-Jets

The E-Jets are neat, low-winged twinjets built for the 70 to 120 seat market [3]. They come from Embraer of Brazil, which builds them at São José dos Campos [8], and there are two generations: the original E170, E175, E190 and E195, and the newer E2 family with a new wing and new engines [3] [8].

Passengers tend to know them for one thing. The cabin is four abreast, two seats either side of the aisle, so nobody gets a middle seat [4] [15].

Filling a gap

In 1999 Embraer set out to build a family for the 70 to 120 seat market, a gap it had identified between the capacity airlines wanted and the aircraft on offer [3]. The family was formally launched at the Paris Air Show on 14 June 1999 [5] [16].

The E170 flew first, in February 2002, from São José dos Campos [3]. LOT Polish Airlines flew the first commercial E-Jet service on 17 March 2004, between Warsaw and Vienna [3] [5]. The rest of the family followed quickly:

• E175: a lengthened E170, about 1.8 m longer, seating 78 to 86 [3] [10]. Air Canada put the first one into service in July 2005 [5] [17].
• E190: 98 to 106 seats [3]. JetBlue ordered 100 in June 2003, with options on 100 more [3], and took its first in 2005 [5].
• E195: the largest first-generation model, with 108 to 118 seats [3]. It first flew in December 2004 [3], and Flybe, its launch customer, took the first in September 2006 [18].

The secret of that roomy cabin is the fuselage shape. Embraer used a "double-bubble" cross-section, which allows the four-abreast cabin with a wide aisle, generous headroom and a larger baggage hold below [4]. The first generation uses General Electric CF34 engines: the CF34-8E on the E170 and the CF34-10E on the E190 [3]. The whole family is fly-by-wire [4].

Air traffic control identifies each model by an ICAO type designator, and the E175 even gets two: E75L for the long-wing version and E75S for the short-wing one [1] [2].

The E2

The second generation began with the E190-E2, which first flew on 23 May 2016 from São José dos Campos, powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1900G geared turbofans [7]. Widerøe of Norway flew the first E190-E2 revenue service, between Bergen and Tromsø, on 4 April 2018 [7].

The larger E195-E2 was certified in April 2019, and the first one was delivered on 12 September 2019 to the lessor AerCap for Brazil's Azul, its launch operator [8]. Embraer says it burns 25.4% less fuel per seat than the first-generation E195, and it adds three more rows of seats: Azul fitted 136, and the cabin can take up to 146 in one class [8]. Embraer describes the E195-E2 as having a completely redesigned wing, new engines, new landing gear and full fly-by-wire, with 75% of its systems new [8].

The family also includes a smaller E175-E2 [10], though Embraer's orders table lists only the E190-E2 and E195-E2 [6]. That table, in its update for the fourth quarter of 2025 (the latest when read in September 2026), counts 1,943 E-Jets delivered across both generations, with 190 first-generation E175s still on order [6]. The E175 is still being built long after its siblings: all 191 E170s, 568 E190s and 172 E195s ordered have been delivered [6].

Over Ireland

E-Jets do turn up at Dublin. British Airways' fleet page, read in September 2026, lists 20 E190s with 106 seats in the fleet of BA CityFlyer, which flies from London City [12], and a BA CityFlyer E190 flew the Dublin to London City route in February 2023 [15]. KLM's subsidiary KLM Cityhopper flew E190s between Amsterdam and Dublin in 2023 [14]. KLM Cityhopper has also been adding the E195-E2: it announced its 25th on 1 October 2025, and at 136 seats it is the largest aircraft in that fleet [13].

How to spot one

An E-Jet is a low-wing twinjet with one engine slung under each wing [10]. That alone rules out most other regional jets: Flightradar24 points out that the E-Jets are the only regional aircraft in its guide with the engines under the wing rather than beside the tail [9]. It has four cabin doors, two forward and two aft [10].

Which one is it?

• E170 or E175? Look at the winglets. On the E170 they stand at 90 degrees to the wing; on the E175 they are at 45 degrees, and the wing is noticeably larger [9].
• E175 or E190? The E170 and E175 have no overwing emergency exit; the E190 and E195 have one over each wing [10].
• E190 or E195? Count windows from the front door to the overwing exit: 11 on the E190, 12 on the E195 [9].
• First generation or E2? The E2s have no winglets at all, which is easy to spot [9]. The E195-E2 has two overwing exits a side; the E190-E2 has one [9].

E-Jet or A220? The Airbus A220 is the likeliest mix-up, because it is also a twinjet with an engine under each wing [11]. Its wingtips carry winglets canted at 45 degrees [11], so a jet of this size with bare, winglet-free wingtips is an E2. A first-generation E175 also has 45 degree winglets [9], so for those the wingtips alone will not settle it; the A220 article has its other tells.

E-Jet or ATR? If you can see propellers and the wing sits on top of the fuselage, it is not an E-Jet. It is probably an ATR 72.

From the archive

Embraer removed the R from its original ERJ marketing designation to emphasise that E-Jets could do more than regional work, from low-cost flying to mainline services. [19]

The E2’s passenger-facing names differ from its certification names: Embraer’s planning manual maps E190-E2 to ERJ 190-300 and E195-E2 to ERJ 190-400. [20]

In photographs

Look closer at the shapes, details and liveries. Every photograph links to its original and credits its creator.