Embraer and Republic Confirm Deal for EMBRAER 190 Jets

Nov. 5, 2010
Contract negotiations are concluded for additions to Frontier Airlines’ fleet.

São José dos Campos, November 4, 2010 – Embraer and Republic Airways Holdings, the operator of the largest fleet of E-Jets in the world, have completed contract negotiations for the purchase of up to 24 EMBRAER 190 jets, plus 24 options, with conversion rights to EMBRAER 195s. This contract follows a previously announced Letter of Intent (LOI) signed at this year’s Farnborough Airshow, in July.

Six of the 24 E-Jets are firm orders. The other 18 aircraft should be confirmed on or before April 15, 2011. The new E-Jets – the 99-seat EMBRAER 190 AR and the 116-seat EMBRAER 195 AR – will be operated by Frontier Airlines, Republic’s low-cost carrier, which was acquired by the group in 2009. Both aircraft will be configured with Embraer’s new slim seats, which are less bulky and offer more space to passengers.

is latest order from Republic for larger aircraft demonstrates not only its confidence in the future but also its endorsement of the versatility of our E-Jets product line,” said Paulo César de Souza e Silva, Embraer Executive Vice President, Airline Market. “After delivering 700 E-Jets to carriers around the world, it’s gratifying to see the largest E-Jet operator continuing to find new opportunities for our airplane family.”

Republic Airlines has been an Embraer customer for more than ten years, when one of its subsidiaries, Chautauqua Airlines, took delivery of its first ERJ 145 in 1999. The Indianapolis-based company currently has 144 E-Jets and 78 aircraft of the ERJ 145 family in its fleet. The aircraft are operated by a network of subsidiaries, including Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines, Shuttle America, and Frontier Airlines.

“We are pleased to build on our well-established partnership with Embraer through this latest order for the EMBRAER 190 aircraft,” said Bryan Bedford, Chairman, President and CEO of Republic Airways Holdings. “The E-Jets are a favorite among our passengers because of their comfort and amenities. They play an integral and growing role in our Frontier Airlines operations.”

About Republic Airways Holdings. Republic Airways Holdings, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., is a holding company that owns Chautauqua Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Lynx Aviation, Midwest Airlines, Republic Airlines, and Shuttle America. These companies offer scheduled passenger service on approximately 1,600 flights, daily, to 123 cities in 44 states, Canada, Costa Rica, and Mexico, under branded operations with Frontier and Midwest, and through fixed-fee airline service agreements with five major U.S. carriers. The fixed-fee flights are operated under an airline partner brand, such as American Connection, Continental Express, Delta Connection, United Express, and US Airways Express. The companies belonging to the group currently employ approximately 11,000 aviation professionals and operate 282 regional jets. For more information, visit www.rjet.com

About the EMBRAER 170/190 family of E-Jets The EMBRAER 170/190 family of E-Jets consists of four commercial jets with 70 to 122 seats, featuring advanced engineering design, efficient performance, outstanding operating economics, low emission levels and a spacious cabin without middle seats. The E-Jets have a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.82, can fly at 41,000 feet (12,497 meters) and have ranges of up to 2,400 nautical miles (4,448 kilometers). The high degree of commonality among the four aircraft – EMBRAER 170, EMBRAER 175, EMBRAER 190 and EMBRAER 195 – results in exceptional savings for carriers, in terms of crew training and costs of spare parts and maintenance. Another key feature of the E-Jets is the state-of-the- art, fly-by-wire technology, which increases operating safety, while reducing pilot workload and fuel consumption. The double-bubble fuselage design provides superior comfort and includes two main passenger entrances and two service doors, thus minimizing aircraft turn-around time. The EJets offer much more space for passengers, in a single or dual-class layout, than other aircraft with similar seating capacities. For more details, visit www.EmbraerCommercialJets.com