Azul Linhas Aéreas received the necessary certifications to start operating with the world’s first Embraer E195 adapted as a freighter. The first flight took place on Saturday, September 26.
In addition, Azul announced that another three aircraft in its fleet will be adapted for cargo later this year. Two of them will be used exclusively with an e-commerce company for a period of six months.
When the conversion is complete, Embraer’s four freighters will join the two Boeing 737-400Fs, expanding to six the total number of aircraft dedicated exclusively to Azul Cargo Express, Azul’s cargo business unit.
The company also has five ATR model airplanes carrying passengers, which will also be transformed into cargo transport airplanes, further increasing supply.
“We are very excited about the diversification of our business model provided by the adaptation of these four Embraer aircraft. The size, reach and performance of the E195, result in the ideal combination of available capacity in terms of weight and volume, as well as a low cost per trip, which makes it ideal to offer an efficient logistics service with access to the entire country. ”Said John Rodgerson, CEO of Azul.
The airline reported that the demand for Azul Cargo Express services had a strong increase and stressed that it has always sought to innovate to meet the needs of customers.