October 10, 2012
A major milestone for Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer’s short- to medium-range E-Jets took place when the 900th of those twin-engined jet airliners to be designed and produced was delivered to Kenya Airways. This particular type of E-Jet is formally known as the E-190.
Along with acknowledging the numerical significance of the 900th E-Jet, Kenya Airways chief executive officer Titus Naikuni also discussed the overall importance of this type of plane for his airline. (That 900th E-Jet was the eighth one to be acquired by Kenya Airways.)
“It is a real honor for Kenya Airways to be part of this highlight in Embraer’s history, by receiving the 900th E-Jet,” said Naikuni. “The E-190 is a versatile aircraft suited to our growth ambitions on the African continent. Given its mid-range capabilities, it ably supports our plans to fly new routes and increase frequencies on existing ones . . . This new acquisition brings the airline closer to our vision of flying to every capital in Africa in the next few years.” (The accompanying photo of one of these E-Jets owned and operated by Kenya Airways was taken at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda in 2012.)
Paulo Cesar Silva, Embraer’s president of commercial aviation, likewise took time to publicly address that transaction between his company and Kenya’s flag carrier airline. He stated, “The delivery of the 900th E-Jet is a great achievement for Embraer, and we are very pleased to deliver this aircraft to Kenya Airways, one of Africa’s leading airlines, only eight years after the first E-Jets entered revenue service in 2004.”
Hundreds of Embraer’s various E-Jets continue to be requested and used by airlines across the globe. In 2018, for example, the 1,500th E-Jet created by Embraer was delivered to Horizon Air (an Alaska Airline subsidiary headquartered in the Seattle metropolitan area). This E-Jet was designated as an E-175.
Embraer, which was established by the Brazilian government in 1969, is headquartered in the municipality of São José dos Campos in Brazil’s state of São Paulo. Over the years, other kinds of aircraft developed by this company have included the Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300, a light business jet; and the Embraer Regional Jet (ERJ). Embraer has divisions not only for commercial and executive aviation but also military and agricultural aircraft. This company ranks third only to Boeing and Airbus as the world’s largest manufacturer of civil aircraft.
Photo Credit: Hansueli Krapf (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en)
For more information on the history of Embraer, please check out https://www.embraercommercialaviation.com/about-us/
Additional information on the delivery of Embraer’s 900th E-Jet is available at https://centreforaviation.com/news/kenya-airways-receives-embraers-900th-e-jet-180238
Transportation History 
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