Embraer enters the jet freighter market with E190 & E195 passenger to cargo conversions

Embraer has announced on Mar. 7 its intention to jump feet-first into the growing cargo market with two new passenger-to-freight conversions (P2F). Both the E190 and the E195 will be offered for full freighter conversion by the firm, with entry into service expected in 2024.

But not all air cargo needs to go thousands of miles and in such large quantities. Regional markets need solutions too, and it is this gap that Embraer is looking to plug. The P2F E-Jets will sit neatly between the narrowbody freighters from Airbus and Boeing, and the turboprop cargo carriers like the ATR-72.

The cargo market has been the one bright spot in what has otherwise been a disastrous couple of years. Airbus and Boeing both offer passenger-to-freight conversions (P2F) for their A321, A330, 737, 747, 757, 767 passenger jets. The past few months have seen two of the three major commercial aircraft builders confirming and adding orders to their own new freighter prospects – the A350-900F for Airbus, and the 777-8F for Boeing.

Embraer’s cargo conversion offer for the existing fleet of E-Jets is really smart. The first E190 flew on March 12th, 2004. A stretch of the E170/E175, the E190 offered even better operating costs and a larger passenger capacity. The first E190 is now 20 years old, and 565 E190s and 172 E195s delivered to airlines. According to data from ch-aviation.com, around 500 of those aircraft are over or approaching 10 years of age. ch-aviation.com & simpleflying.com