Virgin Australia Group has made a firm order for eight Embraer E190-E2s as part of its ongoing fleet renewal plan. These regional aircraft will replace Virgin Australia Regional Airlines’ (VARA’s) ageing Fokker 100 fleet, with deliveries scheduled to begin in October 2025.
The E190-E2 fleet will be based in Perth and operated by VARA. According to Jayne Hrdlicka, Virgin Australia Group’s CEO, the aircraft will primarily operate charter flights and complement the airline’s larger 737 narrowbodies, securing future growth for the airline.
The order for these Embraer jets follows on from its increased order for the Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft in November 2023 and the refurbishment of its existing 737 fleet.
“When the new E190-E2 enters service from October 2025, it will become the first new aircraft in the WA charter market this century. […] This is a huge vote of confidence by the Virgin Australia Group in our charter business and the WA market,” Hrdlicka added.
According to Virgin Australia, the order of these new jets will support the creation of 150 new, WA-based jobs in the VARA business over the next three years.
Photo: Embraer
Martyn Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “The E2 is a game changer. We are excited to welcome Virgin Australia to the Embraer family and look forward to seeing our best-in-class E2 – renowned for comfort, quietness, and low emissions – take the airline to even greater heights.”
Embraer currently has close to 50 aircraft operating in Australia, making it one of the largest E-Jet fleets in the Asia-Pacific region.
At the Farnborough International Airshow at the end of July, Embraer unveiled a series of upgrades for the E2 aircraft, including a one-of-a-kind automated take-off system, the E2TS.
