Alaska Air Group has announced that it has converted nine of its April 2016 options to firm purchases for Brazilian planemaker Embraer’s E175 jets under a Capacity Purchase Agreement (CPA) at a list price of US$449.1 million.
“We have navigated through the pandemic and we’re on a solid path to recovery. The E175 remains a key part of our strategy,” said Nat Pieper, Alaska Airlines senior vice president of fleet, finance and alliances. “We’re excited about growth in the years ahead, which has always been at the heart of Alaska’s DNA. The E175 is a terrific plane to help us add new routes and frequencies, and to complement our mainline aircraft to meet fluctuating demand with the right capacity.”
The 76-seat aircraft will be delivered in a three-class configuration, commencing 2022. In addition, the Group has confirmed its commitment to eight more E175 jets which will be operated by its subsidiary Sky West Airlines. Once the two orders have been delivered, Alaska Air Group will have a regional fleet of 79 E175 jets operated by Horizon and Sky West. Mark Neely, VP Sales and Marketing, The Americas, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said, “The E175 is truly the backbone of the North American regional market; Embraer’s market share in the region’s 70-90-seat segment is 85%. There are currently 588 E175s serving U.S. and Canadian carriers in cities across Canada, the U.S.A., Mexico, and Central America.”
