First Austrian Airlines Embraer Jet Took Off for Inaugural Flight to Stuttgart

     Launch of medium-haul fleet renewal: almost new Embraer jets to replace the Fokker fleet

· Embraer aircraft going to operate flights to Central and Eastern Europe e.g. Belgrade, Warsaw and Tirana, but also to Hamburg, Thessaloniki and on many more routes

· 200 pilots, 600 flight attendants and about 80 technicians being trained for the fleet of 17 Embraer jets

The first Embraer 195 of Austrian Airlines given the name “Central Europe” took off from Vienna Airport yesterday at 7:46 a.m. operating under flight number OS 177. The initial flight was destined for Stuttgart. The airplane landed at its target destination one hour later, at 8:46 a.m. The jet with the registration OE-LWD is the first of a total of 17 Embraer aircraft which will be operated by Austrian Airlines by the end of 2017 as part of its fleet renewal program. The Embraer will gradually replace the 21 Fokker aircraft currently used by Austrian Airlines. The Embraer consume about 18 percent less fuel per aircraft seat, making them much more environmentally compatible than the Fokker planes. Above that, the Embraer 195 stands out due to its advanced engineering. For example, the cabin equipped with a two-by-two-seating is especially spacious thanks to its ergonomic design, offering passengers a feeling of enjoying more space. Lower operating costs make this aircraft particularly efficient.

“We are training a total of 200 pilots and 600 flight attendants specializing in this type of aircraft in order to be able to operate a fleet of 17 Embraer jets. For this purpose we started an intensive and highly professional training program. In addition, more than 80 technicians at Austrian Technik have to conclude a separate course of studies to acquire the technical qualifications and official certification to carry out maintenance and repair work on the Embraer planes”, explains Robert Heusmann, Austrian Airlines Project Manager Embraer Integration. “The preparation work for integrating the Embraer was highly complex, and began almost a year before the initial flight. As a result, we can now offer our customers a high quality product, professional service and safety on the flights.”

“Following the same path that others carriers did in Europe, Austrian is replacing older and less efficient aircraft with the E-Jets, creating value for its owner and partners, and also offering a tremendous product for its passenger in terms of comfort,” said Mathieu Duquesnoy, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “E-Jets are the most efficient and the lowest operating cost aircraft being delivered in the segment.”

The Embraer jets will be used on short and medium-haul routes to Central and Eastern Europe such as Belgrade, Warsaw and Tirana, but will also operate flights to Hamburg, Thessaloniki and many other destinations. The Embraer aircraft boast an average age of four years, and provide enough space for 120 passengers. The list price of an Embraer 195 jet is about USD 52 million.