OWNER’S & OPERATOR’S GUIDE: E-JET FAMILY€¦ · 6 I AIRCRAFT OPERATOR’S & OWNER’S GUIDE T...

OWNER’S & OPERATOR’S GUIDE: E-JET FAMILY

i) Specifications, page 6ii) Fleet analysis, page 9

iii) Fuel burn performance, page 11iv) Maintenance analysis & budget, page 13

v) Technical support provider’s survey, page 24v) Aftermarket & values, page 28

AIRCRAFT COMMERCE ISSUE NO. 64 • JUNE/JULY 2009

6 I AIRCRAFT OPERATOR’S & OWNER’S GUIDE

The E-170, E-175, E-190 and E-195 are all members of the E-Jetfamily. Designed from the outsetfor the regional jet (RJ) market,

the four family members provide 70 to122 seats, with actual numbers dependingon cabin configuration. The family isintended to fill the gap between 50-seatRJs and the smallest jetliners, in order toprovide airlines with capacity on RJroutes that needed more capacity, orsmaller aircraft on jetliner routes at aneconomic level. The E-Jets family is thefirst of new generation large RJs or ‘right-sized’ jets.

The E-Jets have up to 95%commonality in parts and systems acrossthe four main types to reduce rotableinventories and maintenance costs. Theflightdeck has 100% commonality for thefour models, so they all have cross-crew-qualification, thereby providing flexibilityin fleet planning, since additions to thefleet will incur relatively few costs.

The E-Jet family is sub-divided intothe E-170/-175 and E-190/-195, with the

aircraft being certified as two main typesand each with two variants. The smallerE-170/-175 are powered by the CF34-8Eengine rated at 14,500lbs thrust, whilethe larger E-190/-195 are powered by theCF34-10E rated at 18,500lbs thrust (seetable, page 7). The -10E has a one-inchwider intake fan than the -8E, and also athree-stage low pressure compressor.

Being certified as two main typesmeans that the E-170/-175 and E-190/-195 each have their own maintenanceprogrammes. The two programmes havea high degree of similarity, however.

Basic features The E-Jet family was launched in

1999, with the E-170 entering service inthe first quarter of 2004. The designefficiencies promised 30% more payloadper pound of structural weight comparedto similar-sized aircraft.

The E-175 first flew in 2003, with thefirst delivery made in July 2005 to AirCanada.

The E-170/-175 were followed by thelonger E-190/-195 models, which have alarger wing and higher-rated engines.

The E-190 entered service inSeptember 2005 with jetBlue, and the E-195 entered service in December 2006with Flybe.

Each of the four main E-Jet familymodels has three variants: the standard(STD); long-range (LR); and advancedrange (AR). The AR variant was firstintroduced on the E-190/-195, and hasstructural reinforcements that providegreater payload-range performance. TheAR changes are now offered on the E-170/-175, with some 2008-built -175LR’sbeing delivered structurally ready forconversion to AR variants in 2009.

The maximum cruise speed for allmodels is 481kts or Mach 0.82 (see table,page 7). The range varies from 1,700nmto 2,400nm, with the payload increasingfrom 20,062lbs on the E-170 to30,093lbs on the E-195. The E-170 andE-175 share the same fuel capacity, as dothe E-190/-195 models.

Embraer comments that, although thefuel capacity is the same within eachmodel, the range differs due to highermaximum take-off weight (MTOW). TheAR models also have a higher maximumzero fuel weight (MZFW) and slightlyhigher operating empty weight (OEW).

The E-170/-175 have three payloadvariants, while the E-190/-195 variantshave constant payload (see table, page 7).The cargo capacity in two belly holdsalso increases from 508.18 cubic feet to906.17 cubic feet.

Passenger comfort is aided byEmbraer’s double-bubble fuselage designthat promises an increased cabin width atpassengers’ elbows and shoulders, largecabin windows, and a high cabin ceiling.The aircraft is also configured in a four-abreast seat arrangement, which ispopular with passengers. It also aids fastpassenger loading and unloading.

In terms of seat capacity, the E-170carries 70 to 80 passengers, the E-175carries 78 to 88, the E-190 carries 98 to114 seats, and the E-195 carries 108 to122.

Actual seat numbers depend on anoperator’s seat pitch and other cabinconfigurations, such as number and sizeof wardrobes, toilets and galleys.

Time on the ground for any aircraft iswasted money for an operator, so the E-Jets are equipped with integral airstairs atthe forward passenger door to aid fast

E-Jet familyspecificationsThere are 12 variants of the E-170/-175 and E-190/-195 models available, powered by twomain variants of the CF-34. Their specificationsare analysed.

The four members of the E-Jets family have fly-by-wire flight control systems and identicalflightdecks, giving them qualification.


ISSUE NO. 64 • JUNE/JULY 2009 AIRCRAFT COMMERCE

turnaround times. This can potentiallycut five minutes off turnaround timecompared to using an air jetty or groundsteps.

The various efficiencies mean thatturnaround is expected to take an averageof 20 minutes. The boarding process isfurther assisted by the larger overheadlockers that give, on average, 1.75-2.0cubic feet of stowage space per passenger.This equates to an increase of up to 0.5cubic feet (or up to 28%) per seat,compared to that available on each of theE-Jet’s equivalent-sized competitors. Inparticular, the E-190 and E-195 modelshave stowage space equal to, or betterthan, older Boeing and Airbus aircraftthat are similar, or slightly larger, in size.The cabin, seat and aisle width, and cabinheight are all some of the largest availablefor this size of aircraft, if not the widestof all narrowbodies in some cases.

The E-170/-175 have no overwingexits, which allows more cabinconfiguration options. Due to the size ofthe E-190/-195, however, there is a needfor two overwing exits. All variants havetwo full-size passenger-entry doorsforward and aft on the port side, and twoservice doors forward and aft on thestarboard side. Doors forward and aft ofthe cabin can speed up turnaround time.

The E-Jet family has many of theadvantages of modern mainline jets. Thisincludes a cruising altitude of 41,000ft,full authority digital engine controls(FADEC), and a fly-by-wire flight controlsystem. The flightdecks of all variants arefully equipped with Honeywell PrimusEpic digital avionics and a Dark & Quietcockpit environment to improveawareness and reduce pilot workloads.The E-Jets will also have an onboardcentral maintenance computer, whichreduces line maintenance costs comparedto similar-sized aircraft.

The E-190/-195 will find competitionin the spacious Bombardier C Series from2013, and the Bombardier CRJ-1000from late 2009. The smaller E-170/-175will shortly be competing with newer RJsand right-sized jets from Mitsubishi andSukhoi, which promise more spaciouscabins. The E-170/-175 also competewith the older CRJ-700 and -900 models.

The E-Jets, however, are the onlyfamily that offer a full range of fourmodels covering 70-120 seats. They arealso the first of the new generation of RJsto be in operation and, because they havemany of the technological advances oflarger aircraft, they are already one of thefew aircraft certified to fly into difficultairports such as London City Airport.

Environmentally, the E-Jet is fullycompliant with all noise regulations, aswell as CAEP/6 gaseous emissions. Themargins to CAEP/6 are particularly goodon the E-170/-175, ranging from 26.4-97.6% for unburned hydrocarbons,carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and smokeemissions.

There is a business-jet version basedon the E-190, called the Embraer Lineage1000, which has an extended range and

executive seating for 19. The 12 main airline variants are

examined in this guide.

E-170 The E-170 entered service with LOT

Polish Airlines in 2005. The STD varianthas an MTOW of 79,344lbs, the LR anMTOW of 82,011lbs, and the AR anMTOW of 85,098lbs (see table, thispage). While the STD and LR arecurrently in operation, the AR is not dueto be delivered until late 2009/2010. Anadditional variant, which has the samespecifications as other E-170s, but also anincreased MTOW of 101,389lbs, will bedesignated SR as a short-runway variant.This variant is due to be delivered toBritish Airways CityFlyer in September2009.

The E-170 will have a maximum fuelcapacity of 20,580lbs, which produces arange of 1,800nm on the STD, 2,000nmon the LR and 2,100nm on the AR. Thisis the case when the aircraft are flown atlong-range cruise speed (LRC) and with afull payload.

The E-170, like all of the E-175

E-JETS SPECIFICATIONS

Aircraft Engine Take-off MTOW MLW Maximum Fuel Seats Range with Cargothrust -lbs -lbs payload capacity full payload volume-lbs -lbs -lbs & LRC -nm -cu.ft.

E-170 STD CF34-8E 14,200 79,344 72,310 20,062 20,580 70-80 1,800 508.18E-170 LR CF34-8E 14,200 82,011 72,310 20,062 20,580 70-80 2,000 508.18E-170 AR CF34-8E 14,200 85,098 73,414 21,693 20,580 70-80 2,100 508.18




CF34-8E & -10E THRUST RATINGS

Thrust -8E5 -8E5A1 -10E5 -10E5A1 -10E6 -10E6A1 -10E7ratingsMax take-off 14,510 - 18,820 - - - 20,360

Normal take-off 13,420 14,050 17,390 18,820 17,390 18,820 18,820

Max continuous 13,520 - 17,040 - - - -

Take-off flat rating deg C 30 - 30 - 35 - 30

Max temperatures - deg C

Max take-off 1,006 - 983 - - - -

Normal take-off 965 989 945 983 947 983 943

Max continuous 960 - 960 - - - -

variants, is equipped with the CF34-8Erated at 14,500lbs of thrust and has abypass ratio of 5:1.

In a single-class layout, the E-170 canseat 70 passengers with a 32-inch pitch,78 passengers with a 31-inch pitch, and80 with a 29-30-inch pitch. One dual-class configuration can accommodate sixfirst- or business-class seats with a 36-inch pitch and 64 economy seats with a32-inch pitch, making a total of 70 seats.

Cabin configurations vary accordingto operator. There is the option of havingtwo galleys, with one at the front and oneat the rear, or having one galley at therear only. There are two toilets, one at thefront and one at the rear with theoptional addition of one wardrobe. Thiswould be an essential addition foroperators that regularly transportbusiness travellers who require space tohang their suit jackets, as a matter ofcourse.

E-175 The E-175 was certified in late 2004,

and Air Canada served as the launchcustomer in 2005. The AR variantrecently entered service with someconverted from LRs, and some directlyfrom the factory. Although no STDmodels are in current operation, the STDhas an MTOW of 82,673lbs while the LRhas an MTOW of 85,517lbs and the ARan MTOW of 89,000lbs (see table, page7). The maximum fuel capacity is again20,580lbs with the operating range,under the same conditions as for the E-170, standing at 1,700nm for the STD,1,900nm for the LR and 2,000nm for theAR. This is a slightly shorter rangecompared to the E-170, due to anincrease in payload and MTOW. The E-

175 has the same engine variant as the E-170, which produces the same thrust butwith higher MTOW, maximum landingweight (MLW) and maximum payload.

In a single-class layout, the E-175 cancarry 78 passengers with a 32-inch pitch,86 passengers with a 31-inch pitch, and88 with a 30-inch pitch. A possible dual-class configuration could accommodatesix first- or business-class seats with a 38-inch pitch and 72 economy seats with a31-inch pitch, making a total of 78 seats.Apart from the length, and therefore theadditional passenger capacity, the cabininterior is exactly the same as for the E-170.

E-190 JetBlue was the launch customer for

the E-190 in 2005 after it was certified inAugust 2005. Only the LR and ARvariants are currently operated, with theAR being the launch customer for the E-190 generally. The MTOW for the STDmodel is 105,358lbs, while the LR andAR have MTOWs of 110,892lbs and114,199lbs respectively. This equates toat least a third extra capability comparedto the E-170, which is also true for thetake-off thrust, MLW, maximum payloadand fuel capacity. This is required when itis considered that the E-190 carries atleast a third more extra passengers in allconfiguration options.

The maximum fuel capacity is28,596lbs, which equates to ranges of1,800nm, 2,300nm and 2,401nm for theSTD, LR and AR (see table, page 7). Therange again is calculated with LRC speedand a full payload. This would mean thatthe E-190 not only carries morepassengers, but that the LR and AR canalso fly further than the smaller E-170/-

175. The E-190 is powered by a more

powerful version of the engine on the E-170. This is the CF34-10E with a take-offthrust rating of 18,500lbs, and a bypassratio of 5.4:1.

In a single-class configuration, the E-190 can accommodate 98 passengerswith a 32- to 33-inch seat pitch, 106 witha 31- to 32-inch seat pitch, and 114 witha 29- to 30-inch seat pitch. If a two-classconfiguration is required, one option isfor eight premium seats with a 38-inchpitch and 86 economy seats with a 31-inch pitch, which totals 94. The E-190 isagain very similar to the standard layoutof the E-170, but with the addition ofmore fuselage length, and two overwingexits mid-cabin. A third cabin-crewmember would need to be carried in mostlayouts.

E-195 The E-195 was certified in June 2006

and launched by Flybe. Only the AR andLR variants are currently operated. TheMTOW for the STD is 107,563lbs, and111,972lbs for the LR. The AR’s MTOWis 115,279lbs (see table, page 7). Themaximum payload is 30,093lbs, with thefuel capacity the same as the E-190’s.This results in lower LRC ranges than theE-190, with the STD variant reaching just1,500nm. The LR has a range of1,900nm (same as the E-175LR), and theAR can fly for 2,200nm. The engine is thesame as on the E-190 and with the sametake-off thrust. The cargo capacity isincreased to just over 906 cubic feet,which Embraer believes to be more perpassenger than available with the 737-600 and A318.

In a one-class layout the E-195 canseat 108 passengers with a 32- to 33-inchpitch, 118 with 31-inch pitch and 122seats in a high-density layout with 30- to31-inch pitch. A possible two-class layoutcould involve eight premium seats with a38-inch pitch, and 98 economy seats witha 31-inch pitch, making a total of 106passengers. As expected, the E-195 cabinlayout is the same as the E-190, but withadditional length. The additional lengthaccommodates a third cabin-crewjumpseat, the option of a secondwardrobe and extra passenger seats.



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The E-Jets provide a combination of attractivecabin layout, short take-off performance andadequate range capability to meet mostoperator’s short- & medium-haul requirements.



There are 540 E-Jets in airlineoperation. The business-jetversion, the E-190 Lineage1000, is not analysed here.

Due to the young age of the aircraft,most E-Jets are still flown by theiroriginal operators, or their subsidiaries.Only two aircraft are parked: an E-190LR with Aerorepublica; and an E-170LR with GECAS.

The E-Jets were all launched in June1999. The first model, the E-170, wasdelivered to LOT Polish Airlines inMarch 2005. The launch customer was tobe Crossair in Switzerland but, due to re-branding and its acquisition of thecollapsed Swiss national airline, this didnot happen. The E-175 entered servicelater in 2005 with Air Canada, and twomonths later the E-190 entered servicewith jetBlue Airways. Both airlinesremain two of the largest E-Jet operators.The first E-195 was delivered to Flybe inDecember 2006.

According to the Aircraft Fleet &Analytical System (ACAS), the 540aircraft in commercial service comprise:158 E-170s, 119 E-175s, 225 E-190s and38 E-195s. The E-190 is the most popularmodel, accounting for 42% of the E-Jetsin operation. The E-170 and E-175account for 29% and 22% respectively,while the E-195 is just 7% of the fleet.

The breakdown of all the E-Jetvariants and their general global location(see table, page 10) shows that they areparticularly popular in North America,which has 54% of the fleet, since they canbe used as feeder aircraft to link all themajor carriers’ hubs. Many of the E-Jetoperators are regional feeder andsubsidiary airlines of US majors.

There are 46 operators, including:Republic Airlines (71 aircraft), ShuttleAmerica (61), Air Canada (60), jetBlue(38), Compass Airlines (36), US Airways(25), Finnair (20), Virgin Blue Airlines

(19) and LOT Polish Airlines (16), COPAAirlines (15), Saudi Arabian Airlines (15),Flybe (14), Aerorepublica (12), Regional(12), EgyptAir Express (11), Azul LinhasAereas (10) and Grand China Express Air(10). The remaining 29 operators all havefewer than 10 aircraft each.

Air Canada, Azul Linhas Aereas,Cirrus, Finnair, LOT Polish Airlines, nasair, Paramount Airways (India), Regional,Republic Airlines, Royal Jordanian,Shuttle America, TAME and Virgin BlueAirlines all operate more than one type ofE-Jet. This allows them to swap aircraftwithin the schedule and route network,depending on passenger demand, andavoid the cost of maintaining more thanone pilot pool.

Fleet forecast In addition to the 540 aircraft in

operation, there is an order backlog for345 aircraft and options for 313. Themajority of backlog aircraft will bedelivered over the next three years, with80 in 2009 and 110 in 2010.

Customers awaiting delivery of largenumbers of aircraft are Aeromexico (with

a backlog of 7), the Air France Group forKLM Cityhopper and Regional (15), AzulLinhas Aereas (30), British Airways (BA)for BA CityFlyer (11), Air Europa (7), J-Air (8), jetBlue (63), LOT Polish Airlines(12), Baboo (5), nas air (10), Virgin BlueAirlines (5), and Virgin Nigeria (9).

New customers awaiting delivery ofthe E-Jets include Brazil Rodo Aereo (20),Star Aviation (7), Hainan Airlines (40),Jetscape (8), Lufthansa (25), TACAInternational Airlines (6), TRIP (5) andUS Airways (17).

jetBlue has the largest number ofoptions, with 99, (although this iscurrently up for discussion), followed byLufthansa (50), Kunpeng Airlines (45),Azul Linhas Aereas (20) and Brazil RodoAereo (20).

Although the E-Jets will face futurecompetition from other new-generationregional jets (RJs) they will remain theonly aircraft to offer four differentpassenger sizes covering all areas of theregional market. They also benefit fromflightdeck commonality and the fact thatthey are the only new-generation RJsalready in operation and certified tooperate at smaller airports with shorterrunways, such as London City Airport.This is one of the main reasons whyairlines such as BA (for its London CityCityFlyer operation) have chosen the E-Jets over current RJs or are waiting forother new-generation RJs to be delivered.The fact that both backlog aircraft andorder options are spread across the worldsuggests that worldwide demand for theseaircraft will continue into the future.

E-170 There are currently 158 E-170s in

operation, which equates to 29% of the

E-Jets fleetsummary The E-Jets family is divided into four main types,of which there are over 500 in operation. Thefleet demographics are reviewed.

The E-Jets have global appeal, and are beingused both in regional and mainline operationson all continents of the world.


fleet with 20 operators. AlthoughEmbraer markets three variants, there areonly two in operation: the long-rangevariant (LR) and the standard (STD).

The only four E-170STDs in serviceare all with LOT Polish Airlines, whichwas the first to operate the E-170. LOTPolish Airlines has six more E170s, all ofwhich are the LR variant. The averageflight cycle (FC) over the past 12 monthshas been 32-160 minutes. Grand ChinaExpress Air achieves as much as 4.5hours with one of its E-170s. The dailyutilisation has been as high as 15 flighthours (FH) per day, but is usually 7-8 FH.

There are 152 E-170LRs currently inoperation, with just over 50% in NorthAmerica. Another 18% are in Europe,3% in South America, and 9% each inAfrica, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

The largest operator of E-170s isShuttle America (operating on behalf ofDelta and United) with 45 E-170LRs.Republic Airlines is the second largestoperator with 31 E-170LRs, followed bySaudi Arabian Airlines (15), EgyptAirExpress (11), Finnair (10) and LOTPolish Airlines (10). The remainingairlines operate six or fewer aircraft, andmany just have one or two. ShuttleAmerica was bought by Republic Airlinesin 2005, making the parent company alarge operator, with more than double thenumber of E-Jets than any other airline.

Another variant, the short-runwayversion (SR), is planned for delivery toBritish Airways CityFlyer in September2009 for use at London City Airport.

E-175 There are 119 E-175s in operation

with 10 airlines, representing 22% of theglobal fleet. The E-175 is most popular inNorth America, where 106 aircraft areflown. This equates to nearly 90%.

The remaining 12 aircraft areoperated in Asia Pacific (3), Europe (7)and the Middle East (2). The largest E-175 operator is Republic Airlines, with38 aircraft, followed by Compass Airlines

with 36, Shuttle America with 16, andAir Canada with 15. The remaining fiveoperators have six or fewer aircraft.

The FC time for the E-175 over thepast year has averaged from 85 minutes(with Compass Airlines) to 150 (withShuttle America). The daily utilisation hasbeen as high as 15FH for some ShuttleAmerica and Compass Airlines aircraft,but is generally just under 7FH.

There are two variants in operation:36 E-175ARs, all with Compass Airlines(which flies on behalf of NorthwestAirlines and Delta), which was the firstairline to operate this variant and remainsthe only one; and the E-175LR, operatedby Republic Airlines (which has thelargest fleet), followed by Shuttle America(16), Air Canada (15), LOT PolishAirlines (6) and four other operatorswhich each have three or fewer aircraft.

E-190 The global fleet of E-195s consists of

225 aircraft with 24 operators,representing 42% of the total E-jet fleet,and making it the most popular of all theE-Jets. Again, it is popular with NorthAmerican carriers, which operate 110 E-190s, nearly half the global fleet. SouthAmerica has 22%, Asia Pacific 15%,Europe 12% and the Middle East 2%.

Air Canada is the largest operator ofthe E-190 with 45, while jetBlue, thelaunch customer, has only 38. However, ithas an additional backlog of over 60 E-190s, which would make it the largestoperator of this model.

The next largest operator is USAirways (25 E-190s), followed by COPAAirlines (15), Virgin Blue Airlines (13)and Aerorepublica (12). The other 18carriers have fleets of 10 or fewer. Theaverage FC over the past year has been85 minutes, with Air Canada even getting135 minutes from one of its E-190s. Thedaily utilisation has been as high as 15FHwith some US Airways and Virgin BlueAirlines aircraft, and 10.5FH withRegional. The fleet average is just under

7FH per day. There are two variants in commercial

operation, the LR and AR, plus twoaircraft operated by Embraer in a non-standard configuration.

There are 62 LR variants operated by13 airlines. The largest operator isAerorepublica (12 aircraft), followed byFinnair (10), Grand China Express Air(10), Regional (8) and AeromexicoConnect (6). The remaining eight airlinesoperate four or fewer of this variant intheir fleets. The LR is most popular inEurope, which has 26, followed by SouthAmerica and the Asia Pacific.

There are 161 AR variants of the E-190, making it the most popular variantof all E-Jets. The -190AR represents 30%of all E-Jets and over 70% of E-190s.North America again takes the lion’sshare of 109 AR aircraft, or 68% of E-190s. South America and Asia Pacifictake 15% each of the AR fleet. Thelargest operators are Air Canada (45aircraft), jetBlue (38), US Airways (25),COPA Airlines (15) and Virgin Blue (13).

E-195 The E-195 is the newest of the E-Jets,

with 38 in operation, accounting for just7% of the global E-Jet fleet. All are LR orAR variants, and most are in Europe. Theaverage FC time over the past year hasbeen 85 minutes, and the daily utilisationnearly 7FH. Many of Royal Jordanian’sE-195s are doing more than 7FH.

There are just 12 LR variants, in theMiddle East and South America. AzulLinhas Aereas and Royal Jordanian havefive aircraft each, and nas air two. TheAR variant has 25 aircraft, of which oneis in the Middle East and the rest are inEurope. The launch customer, Flybe, isthe largest operator with 14 aircraft. AirDolimiti has five and Air Europa four.




E-JETS FLEET SUMMARY

Aircraft variant Africa Asia Pacific Europe Middle East North America South America Variant Sub-Total Model Sub-Total

E-170 LR 15 13 28 15 77 4 152 158E-170 STD 4 2 6

E-175 1 1 119E-175 AR 36 36E-175 LR 3 7 2 70 82

E-190 2 2 225E-190 AR 1 24 109 27 161E-190 LR 10 26 4 1 21 62

E-195 1 1 38E-195 AR 7 5 12E-195 LR 24 1 25

Total 16 50 89 29 293 63 540 540



Analysis of the fuel-burnperformance of the four E-Jetsfamily members reveals that,for a given distance, the fuel

burn per seat-mile is influenced by severalfactors that include, but are not limitedto: operating empty weight (OEW);engine power; weather; and cruise speed.

Aircraft variants There are four basic variants of the E-

Jets family: the E-170, E-175, E-190 andE-195. The E-170/-175 are certified asone type, and the E-190/-195 are certifiedas another. Standard models have beenused for each of the variants.

All the aircraft variants are poweredby CF34 engine family. The E-170/-175aircraft are powered by the CF34-8EA1,while the E-190/-195 are powered by theCF34-10E. The increase in engine thrustfor these two larger aircraft is reflected intheir higher maximum take-off weights(MTOW). This goes from about79,000lbs for the E-170 to just over105,000lbs for the E-195. The OEW andmaximum payload for each aircraftvariant also increase with thrust,although the range does not follow thesame pattern. The fuel capacity is thesame for E-170 and E-175 and the E-190and E-195.

There will be many different thrustand MTOW variants used by differentairlines. The basic specifications, as pre-loaded in Jeppesen and as stated by themanufacturer, have been used for thesecalculations.

Flight profiles Aircraft performance has been

analysed both inbound and outbound foreach route in order to illustrate the effectsof wind speed, and its direction, on the

distance flown. The resulting distance isreferred to as the equivalent still airdistance (ESAD) or nautical air miles(NAM).

Average weather for the month ofJune has been used, with 85% reliabilitywinds and 50% reliability temperaturesused for that month in the flight plansproduced by Jeppesen. The flight profilesin each case are based on InternationalFlight Rules, which include standardassumptions on fuel reserves, diversionfuel and contingency fuel. Having saidthat, the fuel burn used for the analysis ofeach sector just includes the fuel used forthe trip and taxiing. The optimum routesand levels have been used for every flight,except where it has been necessary torestrict the levels due to airspace orairway restrictions and to comply withstandard routes and Eurocontrolrestrictions.

A taxi time of 20 minutes has beenfactored into the fuel burns and added tothe flight times to provide block times.The flight plans have all been calculatedusing long-range cruise (LRC). Althoughother speeds are more likely on shorterroutes, LRC has been chosen so that all

routes can be equally compared for allvariants without the need to adaptpayload figures. LRC enables an aircraftto use less fuel per nautical mile, whichmeans longer block times, but this is theeconomical and operational compromisebetween fuel consumption and flighttimes.

The aircraft being assessed areassumed to have a single-class cabin witha full passenger load of 80 on the E-170,88 on the E-175, 114 on the E-190 and122 on the E-195. The standard weightfor each passenger and their luggage isassumed, on these short-haul flights, to be200lbs per person, with no additionalcargo in the hold. The payload carried istherefore 16,000lbs for the E-170,17,600lbs for the E-175, 22,800lbs forthe E-190 and 24,400lbs on the E-195.These are maximum seat capacities forthe four variants. Most airlines configuretheir aircraft with fewer seats than this,but a smaller difference in passengernumbers has only a small effect onresulting fuel burn. The passengernumbers chosen still allow an illustrativecomparison of fuel-burn performance tobe made.

Route analysis Three routes of varying lengths were

analysed, with tracked distances of 207-645nm. All three routes are between theUK and France, and were picked toexamine the fuel burn per seat-mile withincreasing mission lengths. All the routesare typical of operators of the E-Jetsfamily, which tend to have average flightcycle times of 1.45 flight hours (FH). Allroutes have been analysed in bothdirections, in order to provide a better

E-Jet family fuel-burnperformanceThe fuel-burn performance of the E-Jet’s four variantsis analysed on three routes of 207-645nm.

The largest E-Jets variants have fuel burn perseat superior to that of the smallest jetliners,while the smaller variants outperform mostsimilar-sized regional types.

picture of each aircraft’s fuel burn, andthe effect of wind.

The first route to be analysed, and theshortest, is Southampton, UK (SOU) toCharles De Gaulle, Paris, France (CDG).This route has a tracked distance of207nm on the outbound sector and208nm on the return sector, and is typicalof the routes operated by Flybe. Therewere headwinds of 5 knots on theoutbound sector (which seems to havehad no effect on the ESAD, whichremains at 207nm), but strongerheadwinds of 28-29 knots on the returnsector (which meant that the ESADdistances increased to 223-224nm). Thewinds have had a very small effect on theresulting block times, with block times,for all four variants, being close at 57-60minutes.

The second route was Exeter, UK(EXT) to Bergerac, France (EGC), whichis again a route operated by Flybe. Thetracked distance is 415nm on theoutbound sector, and a shorter 408nm onthe return sector, the difference arisingfrom a longer outbound flight routingdue to tracks. The outbound sector hadheadwinds of 1-2 knots that left theESAD unchanged at 415nm.

The return sector still had muchstronger headwinds of 22-23 knots,meaning that the ESAD increased to 437-438nm, despite a shorter trackeddistance. Block times on the outboundsector were 83-86 minutes, and with a 7-

9-minute longer block time to 90-94minutes on the return leg.

The third, and longest, route isBirmingham, UK (BHX) to Toulouse,France (TLS). Again this route is typicalof the ones operated by Flybe. Theoutbound distance is 605nm, which, witha slight headwind of 2-3 knots, allows theESAD to remain similar at 605-607nm.The return sector has a tracked distanceof 645nm, but, due to strongerheadwinds of 17 knots, the ESADincreases to 672-676nm.

Fuel-burn performance The fuel-burn performance of the four

E-Jet variants is shown for all threeroutes, both outbound and inbound. Thedata also include the associated fuel burnper passenger and fuel burn perpassenger-mile for both sectors on eachroute. The fuel burn increases on allsectors as the power and size of aircraftincrease, but this is not necessarily thecase for fuel burn per passenger orpassenger-mile.

On all six sectors, the fuel-burnperformance is similar, with the E-170always burning the least fuel, followed bythe E-175. On all except the inboundsector of the last route (which has veryclose fuel-burn data for both the E-190and E-195), the E-195 comes third,followed by the E-190.

The lowest fuel burn per seat can

predictably be found on the shorter-length route with the E-195 on theoutbound sector. The burn per seat on thesame route increases with decreasingaircraft size. So the E-170 has the highestburn per seat in all cases.

The highest fuel burn per seat was,also predictably, on the longest route andon the return sector for the E-170, inparticular (see table, this page).

The best indication of fuel-burnperformance is burn per passenger seat-mile. For this, the best results overallwere found on the longer sectors and theworst on the shorter sectors.

For the first, and shortest, route thebest performer was the E-195 with0.025USG per seat-mile. This wasfollowed by the E-190, then the E-175and finally the E-170 with 0.032USG perseat-mile (see table, this page).

For the second route, the orderremained the same with the E-170 getting0.023-0.024USG per seat-mile, and the E-195 gaining 0.018-0.019USG per seat-mile.

On the last and longest route, theperformance order again remainedunchanged. The E-170 used 0.02USG perseat-mile and the E-195 used 0.016-0.017USG per seat-mile (see table, thispage).



FUEL-BURN PERFORMANCE OF THE E-JET FAMILY

City-pair Aircraft Engine MTOW TOW Fuel Block Seats Payload ESAD Fuel Fuel Windvariant model lbs lbs burn time lbs nm per per speed

USG mins seat seat-mile kts

SOU-CDG E-170 CF34-8E5A1 79,178 66,273 523 58 80 16,000 207 6.543 0.032 -5SOU-CDG E-175 CF34-8E5A1 82,500 69,471 565 57 88 17,600 207 6.425 0.031 -5SOU-CDG E-190 CF34-10E5A1 105,138 89,366 633 57 114 22,800 207 5.551 0.027 -5SOU-CDG E-195 CF34-10E5 107,338 92,862 624 57 122 24,400 207 5.116 0.025 -5

CDG-SOU E-170 CF34-8E5A1 79,178 66,545 539 60 80 16,000 223 6.741 0.032 -29CDG-SOU E-175 CF34-8E5A1 82,500 69,762 584 60 88 17,600 223 6.632 0.032 -29CDG-SOU E-190 CF34-10E5A1 105,138 89,700 653 59 114 22,800 223 5.724 0.028 -28CDG-SOU E-195 CF34-10E5 107,338 93,087 646 59 122 24,400 224 5.297 0.025 -28

EXT-EGC E-170 CF34-8E5A1 79,178 68,267 749 86 80 16,000 415 9.368 0.023 -2EXT-EGC E-175 CF34-8E5A1 82,500 71,581 805 84 88 17,600 415 9.152 0.022 -2EXT-EGC E-190 CF34-10E5A1 105,138 91,959 920 83 114 22,800 415 8.071 0.019 -1EXT-EGC E-195 CF34-10E5 107,338 95,395 910 84 122 24,400 415 7.461 0.018 -2

EGC-EXT E-170 CF34-8E5A1 79,178 68,429 794 94 80 16,000 437 9.929 0.024 -23EGC-EXT E-175 CF34-8E5A1 82,500 71,710 847 93 88 17,600 438 9.622 0.024 -22EGC-EXT E-190 CF34-10E5A1 105,138 92,114 971 90 114 22,800 437 8.514 0.021 -23EGC-EXT E-195 CF34-10E5 107,338 95,591 962 91 122 24,400 438 7.886 0.019 -23

BHX-TLS E-170 CF34-8E5A1 79,178 70,103 967 112 80 16,000 606 12.091 0.020 -2BHX-TLS E--175 CF34-8E5A1 82,500 73,490 1,033 111 88 17,600 605 11.737 0.019 -2BHX-TLS E-190 CF34-10E5A1 105,138 94,274 1,196 111 114 22,800 607 10.491 0.017 -3BHX-TLS E-195 CF34-10E5 107,338 97,717 1,186 111 122 24,400 607 9.722 0.016 -3

TLS-BHX E-170 CF34-8E5A1 79,178 70,498 1,059 125 80 16,000 676 13.235 0.021 -17TLS-BHX E-175 CF34-8E5A1 82,500 73,949 1,136 125 88 17,600 675 12.907 0.020 -17TLS-BHX E-190 CF34-10E5A1 105,138 94,778 1,313 121 114 22,800 672 11.513 0.018 -17TLS-BHX E-195 CF34-10E5 107,338 98,320 1,315 121 122 24,400 673 10.776 0.017 -17

Source: Jeppesen





The Embraer E-Jets are sub-divided between the E-170/-175and larger E-190/-195. Thesmaller E-170 first entered

service in 2002, while the larger variantsstarted operations later in 2004. The twomain type groups are certified as twodifferent aircraft types, and have differentlanding gears and engines, so they havetwo separate, although similar,maintenance programmes. Airlines whichoperate both type groups therefore needto have both maintenance programmesapproved.

There are 530 E-jets in operation withairlines: 270 E-170s/-175s, and 260 E-190s/-195s. There are about another 362on firm order. The aircraft are poweredexclusively by the CF34 engine, but theE-170/-175 are equipped with the -8E5variant, and the E-190/-195 are equippedwith the higher-rated -10E5.

The E-Jets have a base maintenanceprogramme of four base checks, with abasic interval of 6,000 flight hours (FH)and 5,000 flight cycles (FC). The fourthcheck in the cycle therefore has aninterval of 24,000FH and 20,000FC. Aneighth check at the end of the second basecheck cycle is heavier than the fourthcheck.

Most aircraft are operated at annualutilisations of 2,000-2,500FH, so theywill have a base check every 25-30months. On this basis, the earliest-built E-170s will have the first of their fourthbase checks coming due in about threeyears. The fleet leader is an E-170LRoperated by Republic Airlines, which hasaccumulated about 12,800FH and9,100FC.

E-Jets in operation The E-170 accounts for the majority

of the two smaller variants. The E-170and E-175 have been selected by airlinesto operate in a variety of roles, includingregional feeder services for larger carriers,lower-density routes for major airlines,and thinner markets served by smallcarriers.

Operators using the aircraft forregional feeding services includeChautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlinesand Compass Airlines. Major airlinesusing the type include Alitalia, Egyptair,Finnair, LOT Polish Airlines, Saudia,South African, Air Canada and RoyalJordanian. Small operators are those suchas Baboo, Cirrus Airlines, Fuji DreamAirlines and Hong Kong ExpressAirways.

Most E-170 and -175 fleets areoperated on short sectors with averageFC times of 0.9-1.4FH. Annual rates ofutilisation are 1,900-2,500FH. The E-175is operated at longer FC times.

Annual utilisation rates are close at2,000-2,500FH for Alitalia Express,Egyptair Express, Finnair, LOT PolishAirlines, Saudia and Air Canada. USairline Republic Airlines, which providesfeeder services for Delta and UnitedExpress, has longer average FC times of1.35-1.50FH. Shuttle America, whichalso operates feeder services as DeltaConnection and United Express, has FCtimes of about 1.60FH, one of the longestFC times of all E-Jet operations. RepublicAirlines and Shuttle America also havehigher annual utilisations of 2,600-3,000FH.

The E-190/-195 have similarly beenacquired to operate in a variety of roles,although a few operators are regionalairlines, affiliated with larger carriers,using the aircraft for feeder services. TheE-190/-195 have mainly been selected tooperate thinner routes for major andmedium-sized airlines. Examples includeAir Canada, COPA, Finnair, HainanAirlines, jetBlue Airways, Lufthansa,TACA and USAirways.

The E-190 has similar rates ofutilisation to the E-170/-175. Most E-190operations achieve annual utilisations of2,100-2,600FH and 1,350-1,900FC.Average FC time is about 1.50.Exceptions to this are Air Canada andjetBlue, two of the E-190’s largestoperators, which both accumulateaverages of about 3,000FH per year andhave average FH times of 1.80-2.00FH.

While there are 11 E-195 operators,only two have sizeable fleets that havebeen operating for two or more years.These are Flybe and Royal Jordanian,which have annual utilisations of 2,200-2,600FH and 1,900-2,000FC, and anaverage FC time of 1.20-1.35FH.

The two main type groups aretherefore operated at similar rates ofutilisation. Their maintenance costs areanalysed here for aircraft completing2,300FH and 1,800FC per year, at anaverage FC time of 1.28FH.

Maintenance programme The E-Jets have a Maintenance

Steering Group 3 (MSG3) maintenanceprogramme. “The E-170/-175’smaintenance planning document (MPD)is on its fifth revision, having beenreleased in November 2008,” explainsMikko Koskentalo, manager marketingand sales at Finnair Technical Services.“The E-190/-195’s MPD is on its thirdrevision, which was released inNovember 2008.” Embraer expects torelease its next revisions in the thirdquarter of 2009.

“The maintenance programmeincludes about 1,400 tasks for the E-170/-175 and 1,200 for the E-190/-195in average configuration,” continuesKoskentalo. “The MPD has systems,structural, zonal, high-intensity radiatedfields (HIRF)/lightning, and corrosionprevention and control programme(CPCP) inspections.”

There are various intervals for theseinspection tasks, which are based onmultiples of 24 hours, FHs, FCs, calendarhours, and calendar months. These tasksare not pre-packaged into definedmaintenance checks in the MPD.

Operators are free to package tasksinto line and base maintenance checks,according to their rates of utilisation andFH:FC ratio. Tasks with calendar monthintervals are more likely to be included inbase checks.

There are several inspections withintervals close to 600FH and multiples of600FH, and these are grouped into‘intermediate’ or ‘A’ checks by mostairlines. Some, such as Flybe, have chosento equalise the tasks with the lowerintervals into smaller line maintenancechecks.

There are many inspections withintervals close to 6,000FH, and airlinesgroup these into ‘base’ or ‘C’ checks.There are many tasks that have intervalslower than 6,000FH, and so they cannotbe grouped into ‘base’ checks. “We havechosen to add a 3,000FH check package,and group these tasks into a ‘B’ check.The downtime for this also allows us tocomplete cosmetic tasks and to catch upwith service bulletins (SBs) that cannot becompleted during line checks. This

E-Jets maintenanceanalysis & budgetThe E-Jets family members follow a relatively simplemaintenance programme. Maintenance costs are in-line with aircraft of their size and generation.

interval compares to our annualutilisation of 2,200FH,” explains StefanKontorravdis, director of engineering atFlybe.

Many system tasks have multiples of600FH. “Many operators group thesetasks into phases or multiples of 600FH,”explains Abdel-Aziz Masoud, chairmanadvisor at Egyptair Maintenance &Engineering. “The 600FH interval isregarded as a Phase 1 interval, and the6,000FH interval of base checks isregarded as the Phase 10 interval.”

Many system tasks have intervals thatare a combination of FH and calendartime, usually expressed in months. Thetask is performed when either the FH orcalendar interval is reached first. Tasksrelated to the landing gear have FCintervals.

Many structural tasks have intervalsthat are a combination of FC andcalendar time. The tasks are performedwhen either the FC or calendar interval isreached first.

The CPCP tasks have intervals basedon calendar time.

The zonal tasks have intervals that aremultiples of 6,000FH.

HIRF/lightning inspections have to beperformed in the event of the aircraftbeing struck by lightning. “This isbecause metal and composite materialcan separate after being struck bylightning,” explains Koskentalo.

The total number of tasks and theirintervals varies according to aircraftconfiguration and operator’s maintenanceprogramme. There are up to 730inspections with FH intervals, 20-40inspections with combined FH andcalendar intervals, 350-430 tasks with FC

intervals, about five tasks with FC andcalendar intervals, 330-365 tasks withcalendar intervals, and up to 10 taskswith FH and FC intervals.

The lowest FH intervals are 100FH,and go up to 40,000FH for the E-170/-175, and up to 30,000FH for the E-190/-195.

The FC intervals range from 600FCup to 40,000FC.

Calendar intervals range from 48hours up to 240 months.

The FH, FC and calendar tasks withthe highest intervals are the base checktasks, which are performed in theheaviest base checks. The FH:FC ratioand annual FH and FC utilisation have tobe taken into consideration whenpackaging tasks into maintenance checksin order to ensure that the inspectionintervals are utilised to their highestpossible level.

Maintenance checks Airframe maintenance checks can be

split into three groups. These are linechecks, A checks and base checks. Theworkscopes of these checks, and theirlabour and material inputs are reviewed.

Line checks The line check maintenance

programme in the MPD is simple. It doesnot have any of the pre-flight or transitchecks that are standard for older aircrafttypes. The smallest line check specified inthe MPD is a 48-hour check, which was a24-hour check in many older aircrafttypes. The next highest line check for theE-Jets is the 14-day check, which was the

weekly check of many older types. Despite the simplicity of this

maintenance programme, operators haveadded their own checks. Finnair, forexample, has added a pre-flight check toits own maintenance programme. “Wehave a pre-flight check, the 48-hour or‘Service’ check of the MPD, and a‘Routine’ check with an interval of120FH or 14 days,” says Koskentalo.“We also add some additional line checksso that we can maintain technicaldespatch reliability (TDR), and also keepa good standard in the interior.”

Egyptair’s line maintenanceprogramme also differs from the MPD.“The first check in our programme is anafter-landing check, which is performedafter arrival at base and for stops that lastmore than four hours. This includeschecks on engine oil and fluid levels, andcockpit seats and belts, as well as anexternal walkaround visual inspection,which checks for physical damage,missing parts, hydraulic fluid leakage,and brake discs. The aircraft technicallog, cabin logbook and engine indicatingand crew alerting system (EICAS) screensare reviewed for error messages,”explains Masoud. “There is also a transitcheck at outstations where the aircraftstop is less than four hours. This is anexternal walkaround visual inspection,and aircraft technical log review.”

Egyptair’s next highest check is thedaily check, which has an interval of 48hours. “This check includes the after-landing check tasks plus several others.These comprise a review of the centralmaintenance computer (CMC), anoxygen-pressure test, an emergencylighting and battery voltage check, aninspection of the galleys and lavatories,several emergency equipment checks, tyrepressure checks, and navigation lightchecks,” continues Masoud.

“Then there is the weekly check, withan interval of eight calendar days. “Sometasks have to be performed every 100FHor 120FH. Our aircraft operate at about7FH/8FC per day, so this is equal to 12-14 days,” explains Masoud. “These itemsare included in the weekly check. Thetasks in this check include the after-landing check, the daily check and severalinspections. The inspections are a fullhistory database download. Thisencounters downloading of all system



The E-170/-175 and E-190/-195 are certified astwo different types, and so have two differentmaintenance programmes. These are similar,however, with most tasks the same between thetwo.



faults within the past eight days forfurther analysis, inspection of the landinggear, brake and tyre assemblies, enginemaster-chip detector inspections,horizontal stabiliser-ball screw inspection,cargo-lighting and safety-net inspection,passenger emergency equipment, andtoilet-waste line cleaning.”

A checks Although there are no pre-defined A

checks in the MPD for the E-Jets, thereare a large number of tasks that mostoperators group into a 600FH interval.These packages are generically referred toas ‘A’ or ‘Intermediate’ checks by manyoperators.

The inspections have intervals close to600FH, or multiples of 600FH. Themaintenance programme can also becustomised to suit the operators’ patternof operation and rate of aircraftutilisation. The inspection and tasks aremainly system-related tasks of lowcomplexity that require little deep access.They can also be performed overnight,thereby minimising the disruption to theaircraft’s operation. Embraer explainsthat these checks can be performedwithout the use of a hangar. Most of thetasks have FH intervals, although thereare a few with FC and calendar intervals.

In Finnair’s case, the Intermediatechecks are arranged into a cycle of 10checks. “The first check in the cycle, theInt-1 check, has an interval of 600FH,”explains Koskentalo. “Tasks withintervals from 600FH to 6,000FH aregrouped into the 10 Intermediate checks.The second check is the Int-2 with aninterval of 1,200FH, and the tenth check

is the Int-10 with an interval of 6,000FH.There are some tasks which haveintervals that prevent them from beingconveniently grouped into one of the 10packages. These are considered as out-of-phase (OOP) tasks, so they normally haveto be packaged with Service checks.”

Masoud explains that the A checkinspections include: changing oil and fuelfilters; cleaning air conditioning and anti-icing filters; visual inspections;serviceability system checks; operationaland functional checks; and lubricatingflight controls. “There are a few taskswith intervals specified in FC, rangingfrom 3,000FC to 5,000FC. Bearing inmind our FH:FC ratio of about 1:1, thesefall within the cycle of 10 A checks withthe full interval of up to 6,000FH.”

Kontorravdis explains that Flybe’sbasic A check interval is 600FH and500FC. The airline operates its E-195s atabout 2,200FH per year at an average FCtime of 1.14FH. “We have a system ofequalised checks to provide similar-sizedworkpackages of the tasks that have thebasic 600FH interval and multiples ofthis interval,” says Kontorravdis. “Theseequalised A checks fit in with thedowntime provided by an overnightcheck. We also add some tasks specific toFlybe, as well as some SBs.”

Line& A check inputs Labour and material inputs for

annual line maintenance depend on theoperator’s actual maintenanceprogramme. A generic line maintenanceprogramme can be used, and in this caseit is assumed that the programme ofchecks will include a pre-flight or transit

check prior to every departure, a daily orservice check once every two days, and aweekly or routine check once every 14days.

The pre-flight check is not actuallypart of the MPD, but those airlines thathave it comment that labourrequirements are relatively low. Thecheck has been included in this analysisfor the sake of conservatism, and alabour allowance of 0.5MH has beenused. This check will be done at the startof each day. In addition to the routinetasks, it is used to clear any lighter defectsthat can easily be addressed, so somematerials and consumables will be used,in addition to rotables that might getexchanged. A budget of $10 is used toreflect average material and consumableconsumption.

The Transit checks follow for the restof the day prior to each flight. These areusually carried out by the pilots, but anallowance of 0.5MH for labour by linemechanics and $10 of materials andconsumables is again used.

The daily check is performed by linemechanics, and a labour consumption of2.0MH and material consumption of$150 has been used.

A budget of 5.0MH and $200 ofmaterials and consumables can be usedfor the weekly or service check.

On the basis of the aircraftcompleting 2,300FH and 1,800FC peryear, the total labour used will be about1,400MH. This is equal to $105,000 at alabour rate of $75 per MH. Oncematerials have been included in the costof the checks, the total annual cost of linechecks increases to $150,000. This isequal to a rate of $65 per FH (see table,page 22).

Like line checks, the inputs used bydifferent operators for A or Intermediatechecks will vary according to theirmaintenance programmes. Average inputsfor A checks are in the region of 120MH,when rectifications and cabin work areincluded. Each check will also use about$5,000 of materials and consumables. Atthe same labour rate, the inputs for thecheck total about $14,000. Typicalutilisation rates of check intervals will beabout 500FH, so the A checks will have areserve of about $28 per FH. Anadditional $10 per FH can be budgetedfor OOP tasks, taking the total to $38per FH (see table, page 22).

Egyptair is one operator that has substitutedjetliners with the E-Jets on some if its routes thathave lower traffic densities. The aircraft areoperated at high frequencies, and maintain ahigh level of technical despatch reliability.

Base checks Base checks include tasks with higher

intervals than those described. Theseform three main groups.

The first of these are mainly systemtasks and inspections which haveintervals that are multiples of 6,000FHand 5,000FC. There are four maingroups: the first with intervals of6,000FH and 5,000FC; the second withintervals of 12,000FH and 10,000FC; thethird with intervals of 18,000FH and15,000FC; and the fourth with intervalsof 24,000FH and 20,000FC.

These groups of tasks are arranged bymost operators into block ‘C’ or ‘Base’checks. The first check, with an intervalof 6,000FH and 5,000FC, is termed the‘Bas-1’ check by some operators, and hasjust the first group of tasks.

The second, ‘Bas-2’, check hasintervals of 12,000FH and 10,000FC,and comprises the first and second groupof tasks. The third, ‘Bas-3’, check hasintervals of 18,000FH and 15,000FC,and comprises only the first group oftasks like the Bas-1 check.

The fourth, ‘Bas-4’, check has aninterval of 24,000FH and 20,000FC. It isthe heaviest check, since it comprises thefirst, second and fourth group of tasksand inspections. This fourth check endsthe cycle of the base checks.

There is also a group of additionaltasks, which have intervals of 48,000FHand 40,000FC, eight times the interval ofthe first group of tasks. These come dueat the end of the second base check cycle,or the eighth check, the Bas-8 check,which means that this is heavier than theBas-4 check.

Considering that the average airlineutilisation of E-Jets is about 2,300FH and

1,900FC per year, the FH and FCintervals of these system tasks will bereached at about the same time. The5,000FH interval is equal to about 26months of operation. Base check intervalsare rarely fully utilised, and checks arelikely to be completed once every twoyears. “The four oldest aircraft in ourfleet were delivered in the second half of2005, and they are now going throughtheir Bas-2 checks,” says Pekka Helenius,E-Jets programme manager at FinnairTechnical Services.

The second and third main groups ofbase check tasks together form thestructural maintenance programme. Thesecond group is the structural tasks whichhave an initial threshold that starts at20,000FC and goes up to 40,000FC.

The third group consists of CPCPtasks, which have intervals of 72, 96 and120 months. “The CPCP tasks are anintegral part of the structuralmaintenance programme, and so the twoare performed together,” explainsHelenius.

“The structural and CPCP tasks areclosely linked, and the aircraft is builtwith corrosion-inhibiting fluids appliedon the production line,” saysKontorravdis. “The removal andreapplication of these fluids is part of theCPCP requirements.”

Combining structural and CPCP tasksdepends on operator utilisation. Thestructural inspections, with a 20,000FCinterval, will come due at the same timeas the Bas-4 check. This will be about 96months, which is the same as some of theCPCP tasks. Although the Bas-4 checkhas not yet come due on any aircraft, it isexpected that the structural inspectionsand CPCP tasks will be combined withthe Bas-4 check. One advantage of doing

this is that the downtime of the Bas-4check will allow the most access for thestructural inspections.

Consideration has to be given for theCPCP tasks at 72 and 120 months. The72-month tasks are likely to be combinedwith the Bas-3 check, if base checkintervals are performed every two years.The 120-month tasks are the largest innumber, and would come due at the Bas-5 check. However, they are more likely tobe included in the Bas-4 check, becausethey require deep access, which is notpossible during the light Bas-5 check,which is similar to the Bas-1 check.

There are also structural inspectionswith threshold intervals between20,000FC and 40,000FC. These are likelyto come due at various stages between theBas-4 and Bas-8 checks.

The number of routine tasks thatcome due in base checks will thereforeincrease from the Bas-4 check onwards.

Out-of-phase tasks In addition to the inspections that are

included in the line, Int or A-checks, andC or Base checks, there are also severalOOP tasks. These are inspections whoseintervals do not fit in well with the Intand Base checks. “Examples of OOPtasks are IDG and oil filter changes,which have an interval of 125FH. Thereare other tasks with intervals of 400FHand 500FH, and we put these in what wecall a half-phase check, every 300FH.This is half the A check or basic Phaseinterval of 600FH,” explains Masoud.

Kontorravdis explains that there aremany OOP tasks, which are mainlyinspections. “These do not have intervalsthat are multiples of 600FH, and it ispossible for operators to package theminto previous checks, so they getperformed early, or do them on their ownas OOP items. Flybe has chosen toamalgamate them into A checks or into acheck that we introduced and called the Bcheck, and which is half-way between thebase check at 3,000FH.”

Base check contents & inputs The content of base checks clearly

includes more than just MPD andmaintenance programme inspections, asdescribed. As with all aircraft, the basechecks comprise several other elements.



The E-Jets base maintenance programme iscomprised of system inspections, with checkintervals of 6,000FH and 5,000FC, and structuralinspections. These are combined by mostoperators into a system of four base checks,with a basic check interval of 6,000FH/5,000FCand cycle interval of 24,000FH/20,000FC. Thefourth check is usually the heavy check.

The consumption of labour for thefour base checks naturally varies with theroutine inspections that come due. Theseeach require 900-1,200MH for the firstthree base checks, with the second beingthe largest. The fourth check has a largelabour requirement because of theadditional structural and CPCPinspections, and can be as high as5,500MH. This assumes that 120-monthCPCP tasks are brought forward andincluded in the Bas-4 check.

Routine MH for the four checks ofthe first base check cycle total about8,700MH.

The first of these additional elementsis non-routine rectifications arising fromfindings due to routine inspections.Routine inspections and non-routinerectifications will form the majority ofwork performed in the check.

The non-routine ratio is a key factorin the overall size of base checks. Theseare expected to be low for the first one ortwo base checks and then increase withage, as is the case with other aircraft.

“We have experienced non-routineratios of 40-80% in our first base check,”says Helenius. “The actual rate dependson how well the aircraft is kept andmaintained, but we expect the rate togradually increase with age.”

Like Finnair and many otheroperators, Egyptair has only hadexperience with Bas-1 checks. “Ourexperience with this is a non-routine ratioof about 50%,” says Masoud.

At this stage in the E-Jets’ life andmaintenance cycle, only estimates oflikely non-routine ratios can be made.This will be for Bas-3 and Bas-4 checks,with a large number of the fleet nowhaving been through Bas-1 and Bas-2checks.

Non-routine ratio will typically startat 40-60% for the Bas-1 check, and riseto 60% for the Bas-2 check. The ratiosfor the Bas-3 and Bas-4 checks areestimated to be 70% and 90%respectively.

MH for non-routine rectifications willbe 450-800MH for the first three checks,and be larger at up to 5,000MH for theBas-4 heck. The sub-total of routine andnon-routine MH for the first three checkswill therefore be 1,350-1,900MH. Thesub-total for the Bas-4 check will be9,000-10,500MH.

The third main element of base checksinvolves carrying out inspections andmodifications described underairworthiness directives (ADs),modifications described under servicebulletins (SBs), and completingengineering orders (EOs). “While there isalways a usual amount of SBs requiredduring base checks on the E-Jets, theearlier-built aircraft had to undergo anextensive structural modificationprogramme,” explains Helenius. “This

meant that our earlier-built E-170s and E-190s required 700-800MH of labour toincorporate these modifications. Thesewere incorporated on the production lineof later-built aircraft, so they did not needthese modifications in base checks.”

One operator has made a provision orbudget for as much as 2,500MH tocomplete all the structural SBs.

Besides these structural modifications,there are always ADs, SBs and EOs thatneed to be incorporated. The labour

inputs required for these will varyaccording to the ADs that have beenissued and their applicability toindividual aircraft, and airline policy withrespect to incorporating particular SBs.

The E-Jets have been affected by afew ADs. “We have carried out morethan 200 modifications on our aircraft,”says Koskentalo. “Besides the structuralmodifications mentioned, we have alsomade some software and systemupgrades.”



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Flybe is Europe’s largest regional airline. We fly from 65 airports,which means less travel by car before you fly (thereby lowering yourcarbon footprint for every trip you take). Thanks to our schedule fromSouthampton airport, we removed more than 28 million car milesfrom South-east England’s road network in 2008.

Committed to regional air travel

Remember when white goods first used a labelling scheme? Well, Flybe is the 1st airline in the world to apply this same standardto its aircraft – allowing you to make the most informed travelchoices possible. The UK House of Commons Treasury SelectCommittee recommended that all airlines should follow suit.

The World’s 1st Aviation ECO Labelling scheme

Keeping Britain on the move



There have been a few specific SBsthat have affected the E-Jets. One of thesehas been a modification to increase thevolume of oxygen for pilot masks from55 cubic feet to 77 cubic feet.

Another problem has been the need torelocate the drain mast on the belly of theaircraft. The drain was letting dirty waterinto the air scoop at the fairing for theheat exchanger. An SB was issued tomove the drain further aft.

Because of the variation in periodicAD issuance and airline maintenancepolicy, a typical amount of averagelabour can therefore only be budgeted forin each base check. Helenius explainsthat, following the incorporation of thestructural modifications, base checkstypically use a few hundred MH. A rangeof 300-400MH has been used for thelower base checks, and 500MH for theBas-4 check.

A fourth element of base checks willbe labour required for additional itemsthat include removing and installingreplacement rotable components, clearingdefects that have occurred duringoperation, and some OOP tasks. Thisagain will vary according to each airline’smaintenance programme and philosophy.This portion of the check requires 200-300MH.

Interior work can be divided betweenregular cleaning and refurbishment. Abudget of 150MH for regular cleaning inthese checks should be used.

Total labour consumption for thethree lighter checks is 2,000-2,750MH.Consumption for the Bas-4 check can be11,000-11,500MH. Total labour for thefour checks in the cycle will be 17,500-18,500MH. Charged at a labour rate of

$50 per MH, this is equal to $875,000-925,000.

The consumption of materials andconsumables varies from $15 to $50 perMH for different elements of the check.Overall material consumption is $55,000-75,000 for the first three checks, and upto $300,000 for the Bas-4 check, takingtotal consumption over the cycle to$530,000.

The total cost of labour and materialsfor the four checks in the first cycle istherefore estimated to be $1.5 millionwith the labour rates used here. Actualcheck intervals are assumed to be 24months for ease of maintenance planningas described. This means that the intervalbetween checks is about 4,600FH,compared to the 6,000FH MPD interval.The fourth check will therefore becompleted at about 18,400FH, so thereserve for these four checks will be about$79 per FH (see table, page 22).

Refurbishment & painting Interior refurbishment is treated as an

on-condition task by most airlines,although several have established softtimes for refurbishing different parts ofthe interior. The interior includes seatcovers, seat cushions, carpets, sidewalland ceiling panels, overhead bins,passenger service units (PSUs), galleys,toilets, and servicing areas.

“We usually dry clean our seat coversonce every three or four months. Afterthree cleans they lose their inflammableproperties, so we usually have to replacethem once a year,” says Koskentalo.Similarly, Egyptair replaces its seat coversat every C check, up to every two years.

Removing, reinstalling and drycleaning a shipset of seat covers will costabout $700. Replacing the shipset willcost about $20,000. On the basis of threecleans and one annual replacement, theamortised cost is equal to about $10 perFH.

Seat cushions will also have to bereplaced, and can be done about onceevery five years. This will cost about$25,000, equal to about $2 per FH.

Carpets will also experience a highrate of wear, although this will varybetween operators. Finnair finds that aislecarpets require frequent replacement dueto the effects of winter weather. “Wereplace aisle carpet about once everythree months, and other carpet aboutonce a year,” says Koskentalo.

Carpet removal and replacement usesabout 30MH, and a shipset of new carpetmaterial costs about $2,000. Amortisingthe two parts over the relevant intervals isequal to $2.00 per FH.

The remaining interior items aremaintained by most airlines on an on-condition basis. “We examine thecondition of these every base check, andrefurbish them to a level so that they lastuntil the next base check,” saysKoskentalo. “We then plan to do a majorrefurbishment on these items at the Bas-4and Bas-8 checks.”

The restoration of the panels,bulkheads, bins and PSUs may use 100-200MH at the Bas-4 check.Refurbishment at the Bas-8 check mayuse about 800MH and $4,000.Refurbishment of galleys, toilets andservicing areas at the Bas-8 check may useabout 400MH and $5,000. The total costof this, amortised over the Bas-8 checkinterval, will be equal to a reserve ofabout $2 per FH.

The final element of refurbishment isaircraft stripping and repainting. This willuse about 1,200MH and $10,000-15,000for paint, taking the total cost to$70,000. If aircraft are repainted onceevery six years, the reserve will be $5 perFH.

The total reserve for interiorrefurbishment and stripping andrepainting will be $21 per FH (see table,page 22). About $12 per FH of this costis related to the refurbishment andreplacement of seat covers and cushions.

The CF34 engines powering the E-Jets aredivided between the -8E variants powering the E-170/-175, and the -10E powering the E190/-195.Despite the -10Es having a higher thrust rating,the two variants have close maintenance costs.

Heavy components Heavy components comprise the

landing gear, wheels and brakes, and theauxiliary power unit (APU).

The landing gear overhaul life variesacross the E-170/-190 variants, rangingfrom 30,000 cycles/12 years for the E-170/-175, to 20,000 cycles/eight years forthe E-190/-195. Given the averageutilisation of 1,800FC per year themajority of landing gear overhauls willtake place when the calendar limits arereached. The estimated overhaul cost forthe E-170/-175 gear is $207,000. Atypical overhaul reserve is therefore $10per FC (see table, page 22), equal to $8per FH. The estimated overhaul cost forthe E-190/-195 gear is $259,000. Atypical overhaul reserve is therefore $18per FC (see table, page 22), equal to $14per FH.

The thickness of brake units ismonitored during operation, and theseare removed for repair and overhaul.Estimates for the cost of wheels andbrakes vary between operators, but atypical operator reserve for the wheels,brakes and tyres is $50 per FC for the E-170/-175, equal to $39 per FH and $70per FC for the E-190/-195, equal to $55per FH (see table, page 22).

The APU is a Hamilton SundstrandModel APS 2300 and overhaul is on-condition. A typical overhaul is estimatedto cost $147,500 and the average timebefore overhaul (TBO) to be 6,700 APUhours (APUH). This gives a reserve of$22 per APUH (see table, page 22).Assuming an APU utilisation of 0.8APUHper FH this is equal to $18 per FH.

Rotable components Considering the relatively small size

of the E-170/-190 fleet it, is surprisingthat no fewer than three companies areoffering rotable overhaul programmes forit. They are all fundamentally similar,covering most of the rotable parts withthe exception of the larger items, thelanding gear and APU. Failed or hard-time components are removed from theaircraft by the operator and exchangedfor fresh components provided by theservice provider. The latter then arrangesfor the repair, testing, and return ofserviceable parts to the inventory. As wellbenefiting from having predictable costs,the operator avoids the burden ofmanaging warranty administration, andhaving arguments with a large number ofvendors.

Unsurprisingly, the most establishedof these providers is Embraer itself. Thecompany’s Parts Pool Program, whichwas developed for the earlier ERJ-145family, has been extended to the E-170/-190 and has been selected by a largenumber of operators.

In November 2008 Lufthansa Technikbecame the second player in this marketwhen it announced that National AirServices, of Saudi Arabia, would be thelaunch customer for its Total ComponentSupport (TCS) service for the E-190.Lufthansa Technik offers TCS across thewhole range of Airbus and Boeingproducts, as well as the Bombardier CRJseries and the Q400. This builds onLufthansa Technik’s earlier co-operationwith LOT Polish Airlines on the Embraer145 and E-Jet. The two companies signeda co-operation agreement in 2004,whereby Lufthansa Technik is responsible

for component repair, and LOT PolishAirlines provides the logistic support. Inaddition to these two fleets, LufthansaTechnik will undoubtedly support the 30E-190/-195s that have been ordered byLufthansa itself.

The most recent entrant is US-basedBarfield, a part of the Sabena TechnicsGroup. In June 2009 the companyannounced that it had been selected byTACA of El Salvador to provide fullrepair and overhaul support for therotable components on its fleet of 11 E-190s.

The actual costs for these three



competing programmes depend on fleetsize, utilisation, route network and styleof operation among other criteria. Typicalbudgets for new aircraft are estimated tobe $115/FH for the FH fee coveringrepair and overhaul, and $15,000 peraircraft per month for the pool-access feecovering the financing of the pool stock,insurance and administration (equating to$78/FH).

A fleet of five E-170/-190 familyaircraft operating 2,300FH per year isestimated to require an on-site stockinventory with a value of $1 million. Themonthly lease cost for this stock wouldbe about $15,000 shared between the fiveaircraft. This would be equal to about$16 per FH.

The total for the three elements istherefore $209 per FH (see table, thispage).

Engine maintenance The E-170/-190 family is powered

exclusively by engines from the GeneralElectric (GE) CF34 family. The E-170-175 are powered by variants of the CF34-8E, while the E-190/-195 are powered byvariants of the higher-rated CF34-10E.

It is not widely appreciated that,although they are both members of theCF34 family, there is no commonalitybetween the CF34-8 and CF34-10. TheCF34-8 was a derivative of the CF34-3

which powered the Canadair CRJ200. Itretained the same architecture butincorporated a larger fan and a new ten-stage compressor derived from the F414military engine.

For the even greater thrust requiredby the CF34-10, General Electric used thearchitecture of the CFM56 rather thanthe CF34. The compressor is based on theCFM56-7B. The retention of the CF34designation was more to do withbranding than engineering.

CF34-8E5 There are two engine variants

available for the E-170 and E-175: theCF34-8E5 and the CF34-8E5A1. Theyare physically identical and differ only inthe normal take-off thrust rating and themaximum allowable take-off temperature(see table, this page).

All these engines are maintained on-condition, but a typical interval for thefirst shop visit of a CF34-8E5 is about11,500 engine flight hours (EFH).Subsequent shop-visit intervals will belower at 7,500EFH. The first and secondshop visits are estimated to cost$700,000, but the third will be moreexpensive at an estimated $1,000,000.Over the three shop visits the cost perEFH will be $91/EFH.

The CF34-8E has 23 different lifelimited parts (LLPs), and all the current-

production parts have a projectedultimate life of 25,000EFC. However thecurrent life limits vary from 11,500EFCup to 25,000EFC (only 13 of the 23 LLPshaving so far reached the projectedultimate life). GE, however, hasguaranteed to meet the 25,000EFC limit.In the event that the LLP is removed,because the limit has not been extended,then GE will compensate the operator thedifference. The list price of the currentproduction-standard parts isapproximately $1.65 million. Dividingeach individual part cost by its ultimatecycle life puts the LLP reserve at$66/EFC.

Reserves for LLP replacement,however, depend on the stub life that canbe left at replacement. Based on theprojected ultimate component lives, andassuming an annual utilisation of2,300FH/1,800FC, LLP replacement willnot be a factor until the third shop visit.Assuming that the third shop visit takesplace at 26,500EFH/20,740 cycles, thenthe stub life left in the LLPs atreplacement is likely to be in excess of15%, so a more realistic LLP reservewould therefore be $80/EFC.

CF34-8E5A1 The equivalent shop-visit intervals for

the higher-rated -8E5A1 will be about9,500EFH and 6,500EFH. Thereforealthough the shop visits are estimated tocost the same as those for the -8E5, thereserve per EFH will increase from$91/EFH for the CF34-8E5 to $107/EFHfor the -8E5A1.

The CF34-8E5A1 has the same LLPsas the -8E5 and, with the exception of thecomponents in the high pressure turbine(HPT), all the current production partshave a projected ultimate life of25,000EFC. The seven HPT LLPs have aprojected ultimate life of only20,000EFC. The current life limits of thecomponents in the HPT, however, areonly 6,000EFC. Dividing each individualpart cost by its ultimate cycle life putsreserves at about $70/EFC, but again thisfails to take into account the stub life thatwill be left at replacement.

Based on the projected ultimatecomponent lives, and assuming an annualutilisation of 2,300FH/1,800FC, LLPreplacement will not be a factor until thethird shop visit. Assuming that the thirdshop visit takes place at22,500EFH/17,600 cycles, the stub lifeleft in the LLPs at replacement is going tobe about 9% for the LLPs in the HPT,but almost 30% for the remaining LLPs.A more realistic LLP reserve wouldtherefore be $94/EFC. It is clear that thelower 20,000-cycle life of the LLPs in theHPT will have a significantly negativeimpact on the operating cost of thisengine.



DIRECT MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR E-170/-175 & E-190/-195

Maintenance E-170/ E-190/Item -175 -195

Line & ramp checks 65 65

A check 38 38

Base checks 79 79

Interior refurbishment & stripping/repainting 21 21

Landing gear 8 14Wheels & brakes 39 55APU 18 18

LRU component support 209 209

Total airframe & component maintenance 477 499

Engine maintenance: 2 X $153-180 per EFH 306-360

2 X $136-156 per EFH 272-312

Total direct maintenance costs: 783-837 771-811

Annual utilisation:2,300FH1,800FCFH:FC ratio of 1.28:1

CF34-10E5 in operation There are no fewer than five engine

variants available for the E-190 and E-195: the CF34-10E5, E5A1, E6, E6A1and the E7. They are physically identical,and the difference between them is in thetake-off thrust rating, flat-ratingtemperature and the maximum allowabletake-off temperature (see table, page 22).

All these engines are maintained on-condition, but a typical interval for thefirst shop visit of a CF34-10E5 is about18,000EFH. Second and third shop-visitintervals will be lower at about12,000EFH and 10,000EFH respectively.The first shop visit is estimated to cost inthe region of $850,000, but the secondand third will be more expensive at $1.4million and $1.3 million respectively.Over the three shop visits the cost perEFH will be $89/EFH.

On all the CF34-10E variants theLLPs have a projected ultimate life of25,000EFC. The list price of the currentproduction-standard parts isapproximately $1.4 million. Dividingeach individual part cost by its ultimatecycle life puts the LLP reserve at about$56/EFC. Again, reserves for LLPreplacement depend on the stub life thatcan be left at replacement.

Based on the projected ultimatecomponent lives and assuming an annualutilisation of 2,300FH/1,800FC, LLPreplacement will not be a factor until thesecond shop visit. Assuming that thesecond shop visit takes place at30,000EFH/23,480 cycles, then the stublife left in the LLPs at replacement islikely to be approximately 6%, and amore realistic LLP reserve wouldtherefore be $60/EFC.

CF34-10E6 The equivalent shop-visit intervals for

the higher-rated -10E6 will be about17,000EFH, 10,500EFH and 9,000EFH.The first shop visit is estimated to cost inthe region of $850,000, but the secondand third will be more expensive at $1.35million and $1.25 million respectively.Over the three shop visits, the cost perEFH will be $95/EFH.

Based on the projected ultimatecomponent lives, and assuming an annualutilisation of 2,300FH/1,800FC, LLP

replacement will not be a factor until thesecond shop visit. Assuming that thesecond shop visit takes place at27,500EFH/21,520EFC, then the stub lifeleft in the LLPs at replacement is going tobe about 14%, and a more realistic LLPreserve would therefore be $65/EFC.

CF34-10E7 The equivalent shop-visit intervals for

the higher-rated -10E7 will be about13,000EFH, 7,000EFH and 6,000EFH.The first shop visit is estimated to cost inthe region of $700,000, but the secondand third will be more expensive at anestimated $1.0 million and $950,000respectively. Over the three shop visits thecost per EFH will be $102/EFH.

Based on the projected ultimatecomponent lives, and assuming an annualutilisation of 2,800FH/2,200FC, LLPreplacement will not be a factor until thethird shop visit. Assuming that the thirdshop visit takes place at26,000EFH/20,350 cycles, then the stublife left in the LLPs at replacement isgoing to be approximately 18%, and amore realistic LLP reserve wouldtherefore be $69/EFC.

Maintenance cost summary Perhaps surprisingly, there is not a

great difference between the totalmaintenance costs for the E-170/-175 andthe larger E-190/-195. This is mainlybecause the E-190/-195 has slightly lower

engine maintenance costs than the E-170/-175.

Despite the greater thrust and thehigher cost of overhaul of the CF34-10,its longer shop-visit intervals result in anoverhaul cost per EFH comparable withthe CF34-8E5. Moreover, the list pricefor the LLPs on the CF34-10 is actuallyless than the CF34-8 at $1.4 millioncompared to $1.65 million. As a result,the higher-rated CF34-8E5A1 suffers thehighest cost of all, because it has theshorter shop-visit intervals, the mostexpensive LLPs and the lowest LLP life.

The total maintenance cost for thetwo smaller members of the family is$783-837 per FH for the E-170/-175, and$771-811 per FH for the E-175 (seetable, page 22). The difference is mainlydue to the increased cost of maintainingthe higher-rated engines. The E-190/-195have higher heavy-component-relatedcosts, which offset their lower enginemaintenance costs.

The total costs are particularly lowfor the E-190/-95 considering their size.This is one major element that makes theaircraft appealing compared to thesmallest jetliners, whose maintenancecosts are about $300 per FH higher.Although the maintenance costs arerelatively high for the E-170/0175, theaircraft nevertheless remain economicallyattractive.





There is little difference in overall maintenancecosts between the E-170/-175 and E-190/-195.The larger aircraft have higher heavy componentcosts, but this is offset by slightly lower enginemaintenance costs.



This survey summarises the majoraftermarket and technicalsupport providers for theEmbraer E-Jet family of aircraft.

It is grouped into seven sections coveringthe categories of technical support offeredby each provider.

1. Engineering Management andTechnical Support (see table, page25);

2. Line maintenance and in-serviceoperational support (see first table,page 26);

3. Base Maintenance Support (seesecond table, page 26);

4. Engine Maintenance (see first table,page 27);

5. Spare Engine Support (see secondtable, page 27);

6. Rotables and Logistics (see thirdtable, page 27);

7. Heavy Component Maintenance(see fourth table, page 27).

Some of the technical supportproviders are listed in most, if not all, ofthe seven sections and could be termed as‘one-stop-shop’ service providers for theE-Jets. This means that they provide mostof the technical support services that anairline customer would require. Thetables show the range of services thatthese facilities are capable of offering.

As the tables show, the maintenance,repair and overhaul (MRO) and othertechnical support facilities are able toprovide a complete range of line and basemaintenance services, as well as engineand heavy component maintenance forthe E-Jet family.

The major maintenance providersinclude: ExelTech Aerospace, Aveos FleetPerformance and Embraer. The major

engine maintenance providers include GEEngine Services and Aveos FleetPerformance. Due to the financial,personnel, time and tooling costs ofcertain specialist jobs, none of thefacilities are able to offer every singlelisted capability, but some do come close.

By the end of 2012, there are likely tobe over 800 E-Jets in operation, withpotentially another 300-plus aircraft thatare on order. The maintenance marketwill need to continue at current levels,and then grow by about 35% over thenext three years if the expected fleetexpansion does occur. The oldest E-Jet isjust five years old, and the maintenancemarket growth does not include theincreased requirements that will beneeded over the coming years as the E-Jets mature and more heavy base checkscome due.

The backlog of E-Jet deliveriesamounts to nearly 350 aircraft that aredestined for all areas of the world.Existing operators will already havemaintenance contracts in place withthird-party facilities or in house, but themaintenance of those aircraft going tonew operators, however, will need to goto tender. This will be where a lot of thegrowth could be seen, as more third-partyoperators, both airline-connected andindependent, start to offer capabilitiesaround the world.

Many of the third-party facilitiesavailable around the world were oncepart of, or are connected to, an airline.

The Executive Jet model (of whichthere is currently only one beingoperated) within the E-Jet family has notbeen considered in the data below. Themarket shares, as produced by AircraftFleet & Analytical System (ACAS) for themonth of June 2009, do not include thismodel. The geographical breakdowns areconducted according to ACAS’s view ofcountries and their relevant world region.

Engine maintenance The E-Jet family has just the one

engine option for each aircraft model: theCF34-8E for the E-170 and E-175; andthe CF34-10E for the E-190 and E-195models. Although the engine is part of afamily that is maintained by manyfacilities, there is still a limited choice ofMRO facilities that cover these enginevariants.

As would be expected, General

E-Jet familytechnical supportprovidersThe E-Jet family has a fleet that is predominantlyin North America and Europe. Therefore, themajority of support is found in these two areas.

Although the E-Jets fleet is likely to climb toabout 900 active aircraft, the technical supportmarket is still likely to be limited to OEMs and afew independent maintenance providers.

Electric (GE) takes the majority of theengine overhaul market. Its engine shopin Strother, USA, alone has just over 48%of the share, which according to ACASequates to over 500 engine shop visits todate. If those figures are combined withthose completed at its headquarters andWelsh engine shop, the result is that GEholds nearly a 58% market share.

As the aircraft fleet grows and moreengines require shop visits, and thenumber of facilities with capabilitiesgrows, it will be interesting to see howthis figure changes. Having said that, GEhas large facilities all over the world, so itis likely to continue to take a largeportion of the market.

StandardAero, which pushed GE intosecond place with engine overhauls forthe Embraer ERJ-145 family, is an experton the Rolls Royce AE3007 (see ERJ-145family technical support providers,Aircraft Commerce, December 2008 /January 2009, page 23). According toACAS, Standard Aero has only had threeengine shop visits from E-Jets in recenttimes, despite also being CF34 experts.This is quite possibly because itpredominantly deals with corporate jets.Also, while it does maintain the -1, -3and -8 models of the CF34, it does notyet have capability for the -10, and GE(Strother) has cornered the US market.StandardAero could well increase itsmarket share over the coming years.

The next largest market share is takenby a group made up of contracts that areunknown or are for tender. This amountsto nearly 30% of recent market share.

The next individual company is AveosFleet Management, which accounts for11% of the engine overhaul market.Lufthansa Technik takes the next biggestshare of the market, when both its mainshop and that at Lufthansa A.E.R.O.Alzey are combined.

As previously mentioned, there areand will continue to be a growingnumber of choices for operators as the E-Jets fleet grows. This is because manyengine shops are developing their CF34capabilities to include the -8E and -10Eseries. This is true of MRO companiessuch as MTU and Lufthansa Technik, aswell as airline maintenance departments.

For the APU market, about half ofAPUs are maintained by SundstrandPower Systems in the US. The other halfare maintained in-house by airlines or areup for tender.

Base maintenance The base maintenance market is

divided into light and heavy checks. Thefigures differ between the two checks, butthe order that the facilities fall intogenerally stays the same.

There are still a number of operatorsthat undertake their base maintenance inhouse, with nearly a quarter of lightchecks and 19% of heavy checks beingcompleted this way (equating to 91 and117 aircraft respectively). There are 10%of light checks and 15% of heavy checksfor aircraft with maintenance contractsup for tender, or completed by anunknown facility.

ExelTech Aerospace is by far the mostprolific of the remaining third-partyfacilities. It has taken 27% of the marketshare for both checks, and comes close tobeing a one-stop-shop when it comes toE-Jet maintenance.

As well as maintaining engines, AveosFleet Performance also undertakes a largeamount of airframe maintenance, assistedby the number of E-Jets in the AirCanada fleet. For both checks, it hasgained 12.5% of the market. This meansthat facilities in Canada have nearly 40%(190 aircraft) of the base maintenancemarket share.

Embraer itself has performed about12% of base maintenance checks at itsNashville, USA facility. There are otherMRO facilities, as seen in the tables, thatundertake maintenance on the E-Jets, butthey all contribute less than 4% each,with many doing less than 1% (about fiveaircraft) each of base check maintenance.

These figures will change over thenext year or so as the global fleetincreases and more facilities increase theircapabilities and capacity. This could wellbe true of companies such as Flybe,which is increasing its E-195 fleet. At thesame time Flybe is reducing its 737 andBAE146 fleet, meaning that there will bean increase in E-Jet capacity at FlybeAviation Services.

North and South America North America is the largest operator

of E-Jets with 293 aircraft (54%), whileSouth America has only 12% of the

E-JET FAMILY ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT & TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Facility Outsourced Maintenance Documentation Maintenance Reliability AD / SB Check Config Totalengineering records & manuals programme statistics orders planning IPC tech

service service management management management management support

Aveos Fleet Production YPerformance Inc. planningEgyptair Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YMaintenance & EngineeringEmbraer Services Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y(Nashville)Embraer Maintenance Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YCenter (Brazil)Embraer Service Center) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y(Fort Lauderdale, France & Singapore)ExelTech Aerospace Y Y Customer supplied Y Y Y Y Y YFinnair Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YFlybe Aviation Services Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YFokker Services / Stork Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YGoodrich Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YLufthansa AERO Alzey YLufthansa Cityline Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YLufthansa Technik YMTU Maintenance Engine Engine Engine Engine

only only only onlyNayak Aircraft Services Y Y Y Y Y Y YOGMA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y



global fleet according to ACAS’s June2009 data. Again, many of the operatorshave in-house maintenance facilities, butthere are also a growing number of otherMRO facilities offering E-Jetmaintenance. This is aided by the vast E-Jet fleet that is already flown in the NorthAmerican area.

As mentioned previously, Aveos FleetPerformance and ExelTech Aerospace arefacilities in North America that have alarge share of the market. Both areconsidered independent MROs, althoughAveos Fleet Performance started as themaintenance department for Air Canada.

Other independent MRO facilities inNorth America include AAR, CertifiedAviation Services, Empire Aero Center,First Wave MRO Inc., and Goodrich.

As well as maintaining their ownfleets, many operators offer third-partymaintenance capabilities to others. These

companies include US Airways. There are 63 aircraft currently being

operated in South America, but again,like in the Asia Pacific area, themaintenance market is not large, eventhough the aircraft is a South Americanproduct. The main facility is in factEmbraer’s Maintenance Center in Brazil.With this and many large MRO facilitiesin North America, the South Americanfleet is well catered for.

Europe Although Europe has the second

largest E-Jet fleet, it has just 16.5% of theglobal fleet. There is a relatively goodchoice of facilities for both engine andairframe maintenance, although none ofthem currently work on the largenumbers that are seen by Aveos, ExelTechand GE in North America.

The vast majority of Europeanfacilities are in fact developed from airlinemaintenance departments and includeAlitalia, Finnair, Flybe, LOT PolishAirlines and Lufthansa. This is directlyconnected to the fleet that those airlineshave chosen to fly in recent years. OGMAand SR Technics are two of the fewindependent facilities that offer E-Jetmaintenance.

Standalone engine maintenance isoffered by GE in Wales and by MTU inGermany, the latter being an independentfacility.

The growth of the E-Jet fleet withinEurope could well see capacity andcapability growing within those facilitiesthat already offer the service, but alsoamong more of the independent facilitiesand new operators, such as BritishAirways. Nearly 100 new aircraft will bedelivered to Europe alone over thecoming years, which emphasises thispoint.

Asia Pacific The greater Asia Pacific region

accounts for just 9% (or 50 aircraft) ofthe global E-Jet fleet. As such there arecurrently limited maintenance options forE-Jets based in Asia Pacific. The facilitiesthat do have capability will be on a smallscale at the moment, or will just deal within-house maintenance. Operators mayhave in-house maintenance facilities, butfew also offer third-party capabilities toothers.

Mandarin Airlines does a fair amountof its own maintenance in house, but itdoes not offer third-party maintenance.Instead, it has an agreement with ChinaAirlines to do some of its basemaintenance checks. China Airlines’capabilities, as well as others such as



E-JET FAMILY LINE & LIGHT MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

Facility Maint. Op. AOG Line A checks Engine QEC Engine Landing gear APU Thrust reversercontrol support checks changes changes changes changes changes

Aveos Fleet Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YPerformance Inc.Egyptair Maint. Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y& Engineering Embraer Services Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y(Nashville)Embraer Maint. Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YCenter (Brazil)ExelTech Aerospace Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YFinnair Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YFlybe Aviation Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YServicesGoodrich Y Y YLufthansa Cityline Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y YMTU Maintenance Y Y In co-operation with partner

OGMA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

E-JET FAMILY BASE MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

Facility C checks Heavy checks Composites Strip / paint Interiorrefurb.

Aveos Fleet Performance Inc. Y Y Y Specific areas only YEgyptair Maintenance Y Y Y Y Y& EngineeringEmbraer Aircraft Maintenance Y Y Y Y YServices (Nashville)Embraer Maintenance Center Y Y Y Y Y(Brazil)Embraer Service Center) Y Y(inc. Fort Lauderdale, France & Singapore)ExelTech Aerospace Y Y Y YFinnair Y Y Y Y YflyBe Aviation Services Y Y Y Limited areas only YjetBlue AirwaysLufthansa Technik Y YOGMA Y Y Y Y

Paramount Airways, could improve asthe E-Jet fleet in the area grows.

More than 50 additional E-Jets willbe delivered to the Asia Pacific over thecoming years. Within this number,Hainan Airlines alone has a backlog of40 aircraft to be delivered over the nextthree years.

Middle East and Africa The combined E-Jet fleets of Africa

and the Middle East amount to just over8% of the global fleet, with 16 aircraft inAfrica and 29 in the Middle East. Withsuch low current numbers, it ispredictable that there are no facilitiescurrently offering E-Jet cover, other thanwithin the maintenance departments ofthe major airlines of the regions thatoperate this aircraft.

The operators with maintenancedepartments offering third-partycapabilities include EgyptAir (EgyptAirMaintenance & Engineering) and RoyalJordanian (JorAMCo), the former comingrelatively close to being a one-stop-shop.

New E-Jets in the regions will accountfor 17 aircraft in the Middle East and 14aircraft in Africa. Only two of theoperators already have the type, so thereare potentially four new maintenancecontracts to be awarded. One of thosenew operators will be South AfricanAirlink in 2011, so maintenance is verylikely to be completed in house. Thiscould mean that South African Airlinkcovers southern Africa, while EgyptAircovers northern Africa and JorAMCodeals with the Middle East, althoughGoodrich has a small capability from itsoffices in Dubai.

If an aircraft encounters problems inareas that have no maintenance cover,such as some regions of Asia, Africa andthe Middle East, many of the majorglobal MROs would be able to assist theoperator by sending out the relevantpersonnel and parts. Airlines with theirown maintenance department would alsobe able to do this, if not already done, tocover their network.

Summary Although the E-Jet fleet is set to reach

about 900 aircraft, the technical supportmarket looks likely to remain a specialistone served by a few providers. The fleetwill remain focused with a relativelysmall number of airlines. The technicalsupport market will mainly be dividedbetween Embraer, GE, some independentairframe and engine shops, and the largerairline maintenance and engineeringdepartments.



E-JET FAMILY ENGINE MAINTENANCE

Facility Engine health Engine maint. On-wing engine Engine shop Parts repairmonitoring Management maintenance visits schemes

Aveos Fleet Performance Inc. Y Y YEgyptair Maintenance Y Y Y& EngineeringEmbraer Services Y Y Y Y(Nashville)Embraer Maintenance Center Y Y Y Light repairs Y(Brazil)ExelTech Aerospace YFinnair Y Y YFlybe Aviation Services Y Y Mgt & workscope Limited

approvalGE Engine Services Y Y Y Y YGoodrich YLufthansa AERO Alzey Y Y Y Y YMTU Maintenance Y Y Y Y YNayak Aircraft Services Y YOGMA E170/175 only

E-JET FAMILY SPARE ENGINE SUPPORT

Facility On-wing AOG services Short-term Medium/long- Enginesupport leases term leases pooling

Egyptair Maintenance Y Y& EngineeringEmbraer Services Y Y(Nashville)Embraer Maintenance Center Y Y(Brazil)ExelTech Aerospace YFinnair Y Y If available If available If availableFlybe Aviation Services Limited to line

& base EMM tasksGE Engine Services Y Y YLufthansa AERO Alzey Y Y Y Y YMTU Maintenance Y Y Y Y Y

E-JET FAMILY ROTABLES AND LOGISTICS

Facility Rotable Rotable Repair & AOG PBHinventory inventory document support rotablesleasing pooling management support

Egyptair Maintenance Limited support Limited support Limited support Limited support Limited support& EngineeringEmbraer Services Y Y Y Y Y(Nashville)Embraer Maintenance Center Y Y Y Y(Brazil)Embraer Service Center Y Y Y Y(Fort Lauderdale, France & Singapore)ExelTech Aerospace YFinnair Y Y Y Y YFokker Services / Stork On system On system Full cap. Full cap. On system

level level levelGoodrich Y Y Y Y YLufthansa Technik Y Y Y Y Y

E-JET FAMILY HEAVY COMPONENT MAINTENANCE

Facility Wheels, tyres APU test Thrust Landing Landing gear& brakes & repair reversers gear exchanges

Egyptair Maintenance Y Y& EngineeringEmbraer Services Y Y Y Y(Nashville)Embraer Maintenance Center Y Y Y(Brazil)Embraer Service Center Y Y Y Y(Fort Lauderdale, France & Singapore)Finnair Y Under study Under studyFlybe Aviation Services W&T onlyFokker Services / Stork Dormant cap. Dormant cap Dormant capGoodrich YLufthansa Technik Y Y Y



The E-170 model is the more popularof the two smaller family members,accounting for 193 orders, plus twounsold prototypes. The largest market forthe E-170s has proven to be in NorthAmerica (76 in total), although this hasbeen very concentrated. In fact 25% ofall the E-170s ordered have beendelivered to a single customer, RepublicAirlines. The balance have been sold inEurope (38 aircraft), Africa/Middle East(37), Asia (19), Australasia (6) andSouth/Central America/Caribbean (3).The other 14 aircraft were delivered tolessor GECAS.

GECAS ordered 50 E-170s in June2000, but the operating lease market hasnot developed as expected and, in theend, only took delivery of nine aircraft.Four were leased to LOT Polish Airlines,and a further four went to Hong KongExpress, although these four werereturned to GECAS in 2007 andsubsequently placed with AirNorth (1)and SkyAirWorld (1) both of Australia,and Kenya Airways (2). The two ‘used’aircraft delivered to Kenya Airways werefollowed by a third aircraft delivereddirect from Embraer, but again on leasefrom GECAS. In April 2008 AldusAviation, a new leasing company, boughteleven of the GECAS fleet of E-Jets, andanother three in October. Not all 14aircraft have been identified, but the totalincludes two E-170s with LOT PolishAirlines, and five E-190s withAeromexico (2) and Regional (3). GECASalso added two more E-190s through asale and leaseback with Virgin Blue.

Apart from GECAS and AldusAviation, the only other lessors are ECCLeasing and Jetscape. The Embraersubsidiary ECC Leasing has four of thesix prototype aircraft in its portfolio.These are currently leased to Cirrus ofGermany (1), Paramount Airways ofIndia (2) and SATENA of Colombia (1).Jetscape has a single E-170 leased toAirNorth of Australia. Aside from thefour prototype/development aircraft thathave been leased out by ECC Leasing,there have been relatively few ‘used’transactions for the E-170.

The list price of the E-170 is $31.5million, but the Republic aircraft have

been offered at $20 million. Market leaserates are $180,000 per month.

E-175 market The E-175 has not achieved the same

widespread market acceptance as thesmaller E-170. The majority of the E-175s have been ordered for the NorthAmerican market (105 in total). Thebalance have been sold in Europe (16),South/Central America/Caribbean (6),Africa/Middle East (2) and Asia (1). Theremaining five aircraft were delivered toGECAS.

Three of the GECAS aircraft areleased to Paramount of India, and theremaining two aircraft are leased to LOTPolish Airlines. The only other lessor isECC Leasing, which has aircraft leased toCirrus of Germany (1) and TRIP LinhasAereas of Brazil (1).

Apart from various short-term leases,there have been no ‘used’ transactions,and there are currently no E-175s on themarket. Market lease rates are estimatedat $200,000 per month.

E-190 market The E-190 has become the most

popular model, accounting for 443 salesand constituting over 60% of the currentbacklog. The majority of E-190s havebeen ordered for the North Americanmarket (191 in total). The balance hasbeen sold in Europe (68), Asia (55),South/Central America/Caribbean (52),Africa/Middle East (23) and Australasia(18). The other 34 have been ordered byECC Leasing, GECAS and Jetscape.

GECAS has ordered a total of 24aircraft, all but one of which has beendelivered. Lessees comprise Aeromexico(4), Aerorepublica (7), Mandarin Airlines(7), National Air Service (3) and, until itsrecent failure, Sky Air World (2).Availability from GECAS is limited to thetwo former Sky Air World aircraft,although even these are believed to beearmarked for Republic Airlines and itsAir Midwest operation.

Jetscape placed an order for 10 E-190s, with options on a further 10 andpurchase rights on yet another 10. To

date only one has been delivered (asecond was converted into an order forthe E-170 and delivered to Air North),but, in addition to the aircraft orderedfrom the manufacturer, Jetscape hasbought four more E-190s, two in a sale-and-leaseback transaction withAeromexico, and a further two purchasedfrom JetBlue and leased to Azul of Brazil.

There are only two E-190s on themarket, both recent deliveries to TACA ofEl Salvador and being offered by AirfleetResources. Jetscape has nine outstandingdeliveries for delivery from 2010.

The list price of the E-190 is $37.5million, but TACA was believed to belooking for $31.5 million for theiraircraft. Market lease rates were close to$300,000 per month, but the most recenttransaction, involving jetBlue leasing twoof its aircraft to Azul, is believed to havebeen at a rate of around $250,000.

E-195 market The E-195 is the least popular of the

E-Jets having achieved a total of only 111orders. The E-190 has been four timesmore popular with 443.

The E-195 has completely failed topenetrate the North American market.The majority of the E-190s have beensold in Europe (51) and South America(51) with Africa/Middle East accountingfor the remaining two. The remainingseven aircraft have been ordered byGECAS. Lessees comprise MontenegroAirlines (2), National Air Service (2) andRoyal Jordanian (3).

There are no E-195s on the market,although at least one operator is knownto be offering aircraft. The list price ofthe E-195 is US$ 39.50 million, but theGlobalia aircraft were being offered ataround $31 million. Lease rates of$260,000 per month are being offered.

Summary The E-170 and -175 have found their

largest market as a replacement for 50-seat regional jets in North America andEurope.

The E-190 and E-195 have found aniche as a replacement for the previousgeneration of 70-100 seaters. This isparticularly true in Europe, where theyhave replaced Alpi Eagles Fokker 100s,BA Cityflyer’s Avro RJ100s, Flybe’s BAE146s, KLM’s Fokker 100s, Lufthansa’sBAE 146/RJs and Montenegro Airlines’Fokker 100s. In the rest of the world theyhave found a further niche as theequipment for the low-cost carriers Azul,jetBlue, NAS Air and Virgin Blue.





E-Jets aftermarket &values The E-Jets are still young and in high demand fromoperators. There are few aircraft available on themarket and few transactions of used aircraft havebeen completed.

OWNER’S & OPERATOR’S GUIDE: E-JET FAMILY€¦ · 6 I AIRCRAFT OPERATOR’S & OWNER’S GUIDE T...

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