Embraer and Alitalia finalize an agreement for the delivery of 20 E-Jets
Italian airline to add 15 EMBRAER 175s and five EMBRAER 190s to its fleet .São José dos Campos, March 21, 2011 – Embraer and Alitalia have finalized an agreement for the delivery of 15 EMBRAER 175 and 5 EMBRAER 190 jets through a lease structure to be arranged by third parties.
“Benefiting from a strong reorganization, Alitalia is developing its regional network to meet new market and passengers requirements,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President & CEO. “We are very pleased with the renewed confidence that Alitalia has accorded to our E-Jets family. This proves that the flexibility and the operational performance of these aircraft are able to meet market requirements.”
The delivery of the new E-Jets is scheduled to begin in the third quarter 2011. The 88-seat EMBRAER 175s and the 100-seat EMBRAER 190s will be configured in a single-class layout. The aircraft will be used on the Alitalia’s domestic and European network, and will be based on the seven Italian airports: Rome Fiumicino, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Turin, Venice, Naples and Catania.
The 20 new aircraft will progressively replace and enhance Alitalia’s existing fleet of 16 regional aircraft, contributing to develop its ability to provide direct links over short and medium haul destinations, without the need for stopovers, consistent with the evolution of market demand. Moreover, lowering the average age of Alitalia’s fleet, already one of the youngest in Europe, the new E-Jets will increase the efficiency levels of the Italian airline, from economic and environmental perspectives, by reducing fuel consumption.
“The choice of the Embraer E-Jets has been the result of a thorough analysis which involved not only all the main professional groups of Alitalia, but using an innovative method, also a sample of frequent flyer customers,” said Rocco Sabelli, CEO of Alitalia. “This important investment is in addition to those currently made on the Alitalia’s medium and long-haul range fleet, and represents an important step further in the process of providing service excellence to all Company’s customers.”
About Alitalia
Alitalia - Compagnia Aerea Italiana started operations in January 2009, following the acquisition of assets from Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane, and of Air One. Today Alitalia is Italy’s leading airline, serving 23.4 million passengers (in 2010) with its 149 aircraft fleet across a network of 92 destinations (2011 summer season). In 2010 Alitalia positioned Air One as a low fares, yet high quality carrier operating from the Milan Malpensa airport. Alitalia is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and in 2010 the Company joined the airline industry’s leading trans-Atlantic Joint Venture with Air France-KLM Group and Delta Air Lines. Further information is available on www.alitalia.com
Source: EMBRAER
