On Monday, Air Kiribati, the flag carrier or the Republic of Kiribati received their first of two Embraer E190-E2 jets on firm order. The airline originally announced the order in December 2018 and has purchase options for two more.
Embraer announced Monday that Air Kiribati has taken delivery of the first of two Embraer E190-E2 jets on firm order. The order was originally announced in December 2018 in conjunction with the Government of Kiribati and includes purchase rights for two additional aircraft. In Monday’s announcement, the Kiribati Governments Minister of Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism, the Honorable Willie Tokataake said,
“Aviation is critical for any island nation and Kiribati is no exception. Our government has made the conscious decision to take into our hands the opportunity to unlock economic prosperity for our people and our nation through the purchase of these two aircraft. The arrival of our first jet today is the culmination of three years of vision, strategic thought, government focus, research, evaluation, hard work, commitment, partnership and a good measure of problem solving.”
With Monday’s delivery, Air Kiribati became the launch operator in the Asia-Pacific region for the E190-E2. The airline’s new aircraft is arranged in a two-class configuration with 12 Business and 80 Economy Class seats and will allow the central Pacific airline to fly longer domestic and international routes versus its current fleet of turboprops. Also commenting on Monday’s delivery, Embraer Commercial Aviation’s Vice President – Asia Pacific, Cesar Pereira added,
“This is the first E190-E2 delivered in the Pacific region. We’re honored that Air Kiribati selected the E190-E2 as the best fit for the airline’s challenging flying environment. The E190-E2 has cutting-edge technology and is the most fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly single aisle jet in the world. These attributes are extremely important for Kiribati.”
The E190-E2 has a range of up to 2,850 nautical miles, giving Air Kiribati the ability to service Kiribati’s vast expanse including nonstop service from Tarawa to Kiritimati Island (Christmas Island), a route that previously required a stop in Fiji. Kiribati consists of 30 islands in four time zones and is the only nation in the world with territory in all four hemispheres.
Source: Embraer