Singapore budget airline Scoot receives first Embraer E190-E2 aircraft
The plane will arrive in Singapore on Apr 15 and operate its inaugural flight – to Krabi, Thailand – on May 7.
Scoot's new Embraer E190-E2 aircraft is seen at Embraer's headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. (Photo: Embraer/Felipe Pires)
SINGAPORE: Budget airline Scoot took delivery of its first Embraer E190-E2 aircraft on Thursday (Apr 11).
Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, received the new jet from aircraft lessor Azorra and Embraer at a handover ceremony at the planemaker's headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.
"Named 'Explorer 3.0', in celebration of the third and newest fleet addition to the Scoot family, the delivery of the E190-E2 marks the first time a Singapore carrier is introducing an aircraft from the Brazilian manufacturer," Azorra, Embraer and Scoot said in a joint media release.
Scoot currently operates aircraft in the Airbus A320 family as well as Boeing 787 Dreamliners. A smaller aircraft than its existing planes, the E190-E2 will allow the airline to open new routes where demand is thinner.
Explorer 3.0 – the first of nine E190-E2s to be added to Scoot's fleet – will arrive in Singapore on Apr 15. A second aircraft is expected to be delivered at the end of the month.
Scoot will take delivery of three other E190-E2s this year, with the remaining four arriving in 2025.
"We are honoured to be the first Singapore carrier to take delivery of this modern and fuel-efficient aircraft and the E190-E2 jets are crucial to our overall network growth strategy," Scoot CEO Leslie Thng said in a statement.
"The delivery of the first Embraer E190-E2 reflects our confidence in the demand for air travel and our commitment to connect our customers to more destinations at the same great value.
"We thank Azorra and Embraer for supporting us in this next chapter as we become the first major operator of the E2 in Southeast Asia."
Scoot announced last month that it would begin operating flights between Singapore and six Southeast Asian destinations with its new Embraer planes in May.
They will be used for new routes to Koh Samui in Thailand and Sibu in Malaysia, and flights to four existing destinations: Hat Yai and Krabi in Thailand, and Kuantan and Miri in Malaysia.
In another statement, Embraer Commercial Aviation president and CEO Arjan Meijer said: "Embraer's family of advanced-generation E-Jets are ideally suited for Scoot's ambitions, complementing the airline's existing narrow-body fleet with the E2's exceptional short-runway performance to enhance regional connectivity.
"Continuing our long relationship with Azorra, we look forward to seeing how Scoot's passengers enjoy the comfort and quietness of the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the narrow-body space."
Scoot's E2 services are set to begin on May 7 with the Explorer 3.0's inaugural flight to Krabi.
