Embraer has successfully completed the maiden flight of the E190-E2 regional jet, the enhanced, re-engined version of the E190. The flight — originally scheduled for the second half of this year — took place on 23rd May.

The aircraft took off at 1:06PM, local time, from Embraer’s facility in São José dos Campos and flew for 3 hours and 20 minutes. The flight occurred just three months after the E190-E2 rollout ceremony in late February.

The inaugural flight marks the beginning of the certification campaign for the E190-E2, the first of three new E-Jet models. The E190-E2 is scheduled to enter commercial service in 2018. 

The flight evaluated aircraft handling and performance characteristics with the crew analyzing a significant number of flight parameters, including speed, altitude and landing gear retraction. The aircraft reached Mach 0.82, climbing to 41,000ft. The crew retracted the landing gear and flaps, and engaged the fly-by-wire system in normal mode.

The aircraft is the first of four prototypes that will be used in the E190-E2 certification programme. Two additional aircraft will be assigned for the E195-E2 certification process that will lead to entry into service in 2019. Three more aircraft will be used to certify the E175-E2 which is scheduled to enter service in 2020.

The E190-E2 has the same number of seats as the current-generation E190 and can be configured with 97 seats in dual class or 106 seats in a single-class layout.  It has 400 nautical miles more range than the current-generation E190.

E2 enhancements include new wings, improved systems and avionics, 4th generation full fly-by-wire flight controls, and Pratt & Whitney PurePower Geared Turbofan engines (PW1700G on the E175-E2, PW1900G on the E190-E2 and E195-E2).