Mexicana de Aviación ordered 20 Embraer E2 jets with deliveries scheduled to begin in Q2 2025. Neither Embraer nor Mexicana, a state-owned airline, revealed the value of the purchase, but based on list prices for the 10 E190-E2 and 195-E2 aircraft the booking could be worth as much as $1.37 billion.
Brazilian jet builder Embraer SA said the customer aims to grow and modernize its fleet, strengthen its domestic and internation route network, and improve its safety and service standards.
The airline returned to service at the end of 2023 following more than a decade of inactivity, and presently reaches 18 destinations. Compañía Mexicana de Aviación (aka, Mexicana de Aviación, aka Mexicana) operated from 1921 until 2010, when it was declared bankrupt and ceased activity. It had been Mexico's largest airline, part of the Star Alliance, and served all major domestic destinations as well as Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles International Airports.
Mexicana reportedly also has an unspecified agreement with Boeing on securing aircraft for the restarted operation..
The Embraer E2 jets are second-generation versions of the long-standing, E-Jet series of narrow-body aircraft. Both models are powered by twin Pratt & Whitney engines.
The E190-E2 debuted in 2018, and it carries up to 114 passengers in a single-class configuration. The E195-E2 made its first commercial appearance in 2019, and it has seating for up to 144.
"We welcome Mexicana to the E2 family, the first E2 operator in Mexico. Seeing the success and rapid growth Mexicana has achieved since it restarted operations in December 2023 has been remarkable. The airline is already flying to 18 destinations, and has transported more than 115,000 passengers, accumulating more than 3,280 flight hours in this short period, reflecting Mexicana's commitment to operational excellence and customer service."
