MINSK, 20 February (BelTA) - The Belarusian air carrier Belavia will purchase three new-generation Embraer E195-E2 jets. The lease delivery agreement was signed by Belavia Director General Anatoly Gusarov and President of the world's largest independent aircraft leasing company AerCap Philip Scruggs in Minsk on 20 February , BelTA has learned.
The first of the three jets is expected to arrive in Belarus in December 2020. The two others will be delivered in early 2021.
“This is a new-generation aircraft and an advanced technology in aviation. Belarus is among the first in Eastern Europe and the CIS to buy these jets,” Anatoly Gusarov said.
The new jet is designed to transport 125 passengers in a dual-class configuration: nine ones in the business class and 116 in the economy class. The new aircraft will operate on routes to London, Barcelona, Astana, Munich, Paris, Sochi and Amsterdam. Belavia noted that with the new-generation aircraft it will be able to increase the frequency of regular flights to the existing destinations and launch new flights. The new additions of the fleet will help reduce airfares.
The next-generation jets should be even more comfortable for passengers. Their fuel consumption is 25% lower than that of the first-generation Embraer E195.
Belavia is in talks with Embraer to buy two more Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. “We hope to conclude the negotiations in the first half of this year and expect that the planes will arrive next year,” Anatoly Gusarov said.
In 2019, the airline increased passenger traffic by more than 20% and for the first time in history carried more than 4 million passengers. According to Anatoly Gusarov, the airline now operates regular flights to 55 airports in 30 countries and intends to actively expand its route map. In 2020, Belavia will begin to fly to Vienna, Tashkent, Aktau, and to Spain's Reus in the summer. The carrier intends to expand charter programs and carry them out from all regional centers.
