Owing to the airlines’ demands for medium-capacity jets, Embraer launched the EMBRAER 170/190 aircraft family, later called E-Jets, which originally encompassed the EMBRAER 170, the EMBRAER 190 and the EMBRAER 195. Later, the family also included the EMBRAER 175.

The project was brand new, benefiting from the interactive simulation and modeling technology in Embraer’s CRV (Virtual Reality Center). The high degree of commonality among this family’s models—about 90% of the parts are common to several models—allows airlines to cut down drastically on operation and training costs, thereby increasing their flexibility and strengthening their profitability.

The launch of the new family was announced during the 43rd Paris Air Show on June 14, 1999. Initially, the airplanes were named ERJ 170, ERJ 190-100 and ERJ 190-200. Later, during the rollout of the first prototype, the names were changed to EMBRAER 170, 190 and 195, respectively.

The rollout of the EMBRAER 190 was carried out in February 2004, and its maiden flight was taken in March of that year. The following year, in August, it received official approval from the CTA, and in September, from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The first customer to receive an EMBRAER 190 was the U.S. operator JetBlue Airways, in September 2005.

In February 2006, the renowned magazine Air Transport World granted its annual Aviation Technology Recognition award, which is meant for a manufacturer who has developed a product that significantly improves airline service, capacity, efficiency and safety. That year, the award went to Embraer and its 170/190 family, whose four new-generation jets are giving airlines the flexibility to match aircraft size to market demand in the 70 to 110-seat segment.

As of July 2009, some 600 E-Jets are in operation for 46 airlines in 30 countries.

For more information about Embraer's commercial jets, visit:
Embraer Commercial Jets - EMBRAER 190