Virgin Australia Group has placed a firm order for eight Embraer E190-E2s as part of its ongoing fleet renewal plan. These regional aircraft will replace Virgin Australia Regional Airlines’ (VARA) ageing Fokker 100 fleet, with deliveries scheduled to begin in October 2025.
The E190-E2 fleet will be based in Perth and operated by VARA. According to Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka, the aircraft will be used primarily for charter flights and will complement the airline’s larger 737 narrow-body aircraft, securing the airline’s future growth.
The order for these Embraer jets follows the increased order for Boeing 737-MAX 8 aircraft in November 2023 and the modernization of the existing 737 fleet.
“When the new E190-E2 enters service from October 2025, it will be the first new aircraft to enter the WA charter market this century. (…) This is a great vote of confidence from the Virgin Australia Group in our charter business and the WA market,” she added.
According to Virgin Australia, the order for these new jets will help create 150 new jobs in the VARA business in WA over the next three years.
Martyn Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “The E2 is a game-changer. We are delighted to welcome Virgin Australia to the Embraer family and look forward to seeing our best-in-class E2 – renowned for comfort, quietness and low emissions – take the airline to even greater heights.”
Embraer currently operates nearly 50 aircraft in Australia, giving it one of the largest E-Jet fleets in the Asia-Pacific region.
At the Farnborough Airshow in late July, Embraer unveiled a number of upgrades to the E2 aircraft, including a unique automatic takeoff system, the E2TS.
