Ayşe Akalın: First of all, thank you for sparing time for our readers. Can we start our interview with getting an overview of 2023’s first 9 months from Embraer’s E195-E2 commercial jet’s point of view in terms of the number of deliveries and new orders? What can you tell us about Embraer’s share in global airliner market for aircraft below 150 seats? 

Hussein Dabbas: 2023 has been a great year for Embraer, strongly emerging from the pandemic with more orders and increased deliveries ensuring a book-to-bill above one for the year. We have 71 new orders with the likelihood of more deals still to come in 2023, And we will achieve our guidance of between 65 and 70 deliveries by year end of the year. Embraer is the market leader in aircraft with fewer than 150 seats, the most robust and broad family of aircraft in the segment, spanning across the E175 to the E195-E2.  

 Ayşe Akalın: Can you inform us about Embraer’s current E195-E2 final assembly line in Brazil and its annual production capacity? Considering the fact that the E-Jets have established their role as the world’s third-largest force in the global airliner market do you have a plan to establish more final assembly lines in other countries? 

Hussein Dabbas: Our current final assembly line in Brazil is a hybrid one, where we produce the E175, the E190-E2 and the E195-E2 as required. We have the capacity to produce over 100 aircraft per year. The establishment of other final assembly lines around the world is something we are looking at, within a wide-ranging scope of potential partnership opportunities. We have done this in the past in China, with a plant in Harbin, and we’re actively exploring these opportunities. 

Ayşe Akalın: As the largest aircraft in the E-Jet E2 family, the E195-E2 has been designed to maximize returns and efficiency on high-density routes. Where do you see the strong points of E195-E2 and how does it differ from its competitors? 

Hussein Dabbas:  The E195-E2 similar cost per seat and 25-30% smaller cost per trip versus large narrowbody aircraft, gives the aircraft a level of versatilty within the industry that is unique. On high-density routes, it enables more frequencies through the day – very convenient for passengers and leads to higher yields for operators – all without compromising on cost. 

The E195-E2 is also a formidable aircraft for low and medium density routes – allowing airlines to feed their hubs with passengers from cities that otherwise would not be connected to the network (or poorly connected, with just a few flights per week). 

In summary, the E2 is the best aircraft to enable airlines to explore, grow, and maintain new markets with minimum risk – and maximum profit. Making it the best complement to larger narrow-bodies   

 Ayşe Akalın: As the largest member of the E-Jet family, E195-E2 can accommodate between 120 and 146 passengers and is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1900G Geared Turbofans providing up to 23,000 pounds of thrust. The engine is part of the PW1000G family, which can also be found on other aircraft, including the Airbus A220 and Airbus A320neo. However, the technical problem experienced with the Pratt & Whitney PW1500G Engines on A220 fleet and PW1100G Engines on the A320neo Familymade things difficult. Can you elaborate on the current status of engine problem, how the engine problem affects Embraer and the E195-E2 fleet and ongoing discussions with P&W on this issue? When do you expect PW1900G engine problems to be fixed? 

Hussein Dabbas: Our aircraft are significantly less affected by these issues for a number of reasons, one of which comes from a key differentiator for the E2 program as whole – the E2 is a significantly lighter aircraft than the A220, and therefore less demanding on the engine at all times, but especially in the climb. The E190-E2 and E195-E2 have a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 56.4 tons and 61.5 tons, respectively, compared to the A220-100 and A220-300’s 63.5 tons and 70.9 tons, respectively.  

While not immune to the issues, we have not been affected at the same level that you’ve seen on the A320neos and the A220s – around three times less affected (as confirmed by our fleet in service statistics). 

Also, as the E2 entered service only in 2018 it was therefore equipped with later more mature engine configurations than was offered to earlier users. 

In normal circumstances these issues would be managed through use of spare engines etc., however the supply chain and MRO capacity issues affecting the whole industry have made this more challenging. We are working closely with P&W to mitigate issues and we are also adding GTF MRO capability at OGMA, Embraer’s MRO facility in Portugal. 

Ayşe Akalın: At İstanbul Airshow (AIREX) 2022, Embraer displayed E195-E2 commercial jet. As demand for air travel soars following the pandemic, Turkish Airlines (THY) is said to on course to order 30-40 regional aircraft to support its continued growth. Turkish Airlines was previously interested in both the Airbus A220 and Embraer E195-E2 commercial jets. Can you elaborate on the technical features of E195-E2 single aisle aircraft and why and on how it is well-suited to Turkish Airlines regional operation? 

Hussein Dabbas: Turkish Airlines already operates from IST airport to more international destinations than any airline in the world. However, the true strength of a hub is defined by how well those destinations are connected with each other. Adding E195-E2 to the fleet, to complement narrow and widebodies, would support the airline in increasing number of frequencies, especially on short and mid-haul routes across the region. This in turn would shorten the connecting times for transfer passengers, enhancing customer experience and unlocking new passenger flows. 

This strategy wasn't possible in the congested Ataturk airport, but development of the new IST airport has provided Turkish Airlines with new market possibilities.

The E2 is the most efficient and optimised aircraft to fulfill the under 150 seat mission. For that reason, within its segment, its performance and economic metrics are unbeatable, no matter how you look at the numbers.  

Because of its similar seat costs compared to larger NBs, such as the A320neo, it can be successfully deployed in most markets these aircraft operate, complementing their capacity by adding the flexibity to dynamically match capacity to demand, and therefore maximise yield. Additionally, because of its much, much lower cost per trip, it can do so much more cost effectively.  It is this unique capability that led to naming the aircraft, the ‘Profit Hunter’. 

Those impressive cost numbers are based, in the main, on fuel burn, and therefore also make the E2’s environmental credentials unbeatable. Both in terms of emissions and noise, the E195-E2 is the quietest and most efficient aircraft in the single-aisle category. 

No new-generation aircraft in the segment is more versatile, cheaper to operate, easier and less costly to maintain, or more environmentally advanced than the E195-E2. No other aircraft can open new markets more efficiently and with fewer risks; no other can efficiently feed a hub with the number of frequencies that will maximize connectivity benefits; no other can complement the operations of larger narrowbodies to ensure that airlines will be able to deploy flights year-round efficiently matching capacity and demand.  

Ayşe Akalın: What are your predictions for commercial aviation in Türkiye in terms of growth, challenges and opportunities? How do you see the commercial airplanes market developing in Turkey and how does Embraer provide support services in country? 

Hussein Dabbas: Türkiye has a unique and rapidly growing place in the global air transport arena. Crossing the 200M passenger mark pre-COVID was a remarkable achievement. Added to the quickest post-COVID traffic recovery among all European countries, strongly supported by diversified traffic sources, this proved the resilience and further growth potential of the Turkish market. There are many reasons to be positive about the future of the industry in Türkiye, which is why Türkiye is one of the countries we are talking to about future industrial collaboration.  

Not only is the country a top tourist destination, it also has a privileged geographical location at the crossroads of the world, allowing it to efficiently connect passengers globally. Türkiye also has a thriving domestic market, as well as an established and respected aerospace industry of its own.

With so many different opportunities, it is easy to see how the most efficient and versatile aircraft in the market – the E195-E2 – can be a major tool to even further extend Türkiye’s leadership credentials in the industry. 

 Ayşe Akalın: What can you tell us about the current status of your technological cooperation with Turkish suppliers and Embraer’s supply chain here in Türkiye?   

Hussein Dabbas: Türkiye has a talented and respected aerospace sector and supply chain that could be phenomenal contributors to the E2 program, as well as to future programs such as Energia. Embraer is also eager to contribute with the Turkish air transportation market with the introduction of the E2. The synergies are surely there, and that’s the spirit of the technological cooperation we see in our ongoing discussions.  

Ayşe Akalın: Would you like to add anything in the way of a message for our readers? 

Hussein Dabbas: Thanks for talking to us today, we hope your readers in Türkiye soon get to enjoy the E2’s whisper quiet ride, huge overhead luggage bins, and can luxuriate in the knowledge they will never have to endure the hated middle seat on an E2…