Aircraft
Embraer Programs On Track as E190-E2 Enters Home Stretch
First member of new narrowbody family poised to gain certification in time of second-quarter 2018 service entry
The Embraer E190-E2 few for the first time in May of 2016. (Photo: Embraer)
The Embraer E190-E2 few for the first time in May of 2016. (Photo: Embraer)

The Embraer E-Jet E2 program continues to progress precisely on schedule, leaving now former commercial aircraft COO Luis Carlos Affonso quite comfortable with his legacy as he assumes his new role of vice president of corporate strategy and innovation. Issuing perhaps his last update on the E-Jet effort to AIN just ahead of the Dubai Airshow, Affonso reported that the E190-E2 program had accumulated 1,600 flight hours out of an expected total of 2,000, and that Embraer had performed all of the most challenging aspects of flight and ground testing with minimal need for configuration changes. Program teams recently have completed tests associated with aeroelastic characteristics and natural icing, while cabin evacuation drills met certification requirements by what Affonso called a very good margin under the 90-second limit.