National carrier Vietnam Airlines plans to replace its fleet of ATR aircraft with new-generation regional jet aircraft containing about 100 seats in order to improve the efficiency of operation and service quality on short routes.
This plan is part of the carrier’s policy besides upgrading the fleet of Airbus A321 aircrafts and enlarging the fleet of Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 wide-bodied aircraft, said Vietnam Airlines.
In comparison with the Airbus A321, the jet aircraft will have fewer seats but be really suitable with domestic routes and small airports such as Dien Bien, Con Dao and Rach Gia. With flying distance from over 2,000km to nearly 6,000km, this type of jet aircraft is expected to possess high mobility in operation.
Vietnam Airlines said it was researching the operation efficiency of small jet aircraft including E190-E2 and E175-E2 of Embraer, Bombadier’s CRJ900/1000, Airbus and Bombardier joint venture’s A220, Mitsubishi’s MRJ70/90 and Sukhoi’s SSJ100.
According to Vietnam Airlines’ master development plan for the 2021-25 aircraft fleet, with a vision to 2030, the fleet of small jet aircrafts is expected to have about 20 units. The firm will likely wet lease small jets in six months to test and evaluate the actual performance before deciding to hire or buy jet aircrafts and replace them with ATR in the long term.
Inside the E190-E2 aircraft of the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer. — Photo Vietnam Airlines
On October 18, Vietnam Airlines attended a performance run of E190-E2 aircraft of the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer at Noi Bai International Airport.
The flying performance took place around Ha Noi, departing at 11:30 and landing Noi Bai Airport at 12:15.
The Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, with 106 seats, is one of three new-generation models of the E-Jet E2 family.
The regional jet aircraft E190-E2 was introduced at the Paris Airshow for the first time in 2013. It held its first trial in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil on May 23, 2016.
By the end of February 2018, the E190-E2 was certified for operation before being commissioned by Norwegian carrier Wideroe on April 24.
By the end of the second quarter of 2018, 50 E190-E2 aircraft had been ordered, three of which were put into service for the carrier Wideroe. The remaining 47 aircraft belonged to major aircraft leasing firms such as Aircastle, Aercap, ICBC and Hainan Airlines.
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E190-E2 aircraft specifications:
Range of operation: Carrying a full load of passengers, the aircraft’s range extends to 5,428km.
Engine: Pratt & Whitney PurePower® Geared Turbofan delivers powerful performance, while minimising external noise and emissions.
Materials: The shell material of the aircraft is a combination of aluminum and composite, which reduces maintenance costs and simplifies maintenance process.
Thanks to the new engine, optimised wing design, aerodynamics and aircraft control technology through the 4th Generation fly-by-wire, the E190-E2 has led to significant improvements, saving 17.3 per cent of fuel burn compared with previous models.
Configuration: There are three types of jet aircraft including 96 seats, 106 seats and 114 seats. The business-level seat’s step width is 52 inches, while the economy-level seat’s width is 29 to 31 inches. Each seat is equipped with a power outlet, which facilitates the use of electronic equipment throughout the journey.
The in-house wireless wifi system allows passengers to access the aerial entertainment system with mobile phone.
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