Embraer’s E190F E-Freighter
has been fully certified by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Embraer’s passenger-to-freighter conversion and the Cargo Loading System, developed by U.S. Cargo Systems, have received the certification by FAA in September 2024.
In July, the E-Freighter was certified by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) and EASA certification is due later this year.
The aircraft was developed to fill a gap in the air cargo market and to replace older, less efficient models.
The E190F program was launched in May 2022 to meet the changing demands of e-commerce and modern trade, which require fast deliveries and decentralized operations driving the demand for faster delivery of shipments to regional markets.
The E-Freighter made its debut flight in April and its first public appearance during the Farnborough Airshow in July.
Commenting on the development, Martyn Holmes, Chief Commercial Officer, Embraer Commercial Aviation declared: “FAA certification is an important milestone in our passenger-to-freighter conversion program. We are excited to enter this market, filling a gap that has evolved in the market to meet the growing demand globally for faster deliveries, not just to metro areas, but to all regions. With our E-Jet footprint across the US and worldwide, we are offering optimum cargo solutions to our customers for this connected world”.
E-Jets converted to freighters will have over 40% more volume capacity, three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs than larger narrowbodies. If combining capacity under the floor and main deck, the maximum structural payload is 13,500 kg for the E190F.
Meantime, Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Embraer and the Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (Finep), which promotes Brazil’s economic and social development through public funding for Science, Technology and Innovation, have celebrated an agreement for R$ 126,7 (USD$23 million) investment in sustainable aircraft technologies research.
The announcement took place during the visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, to Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Finep will use resources from non-reimbursable funding originating from the National Development, Scientific and Technological Funding (FNDCT) to support 50% of this research agreement and Embraer will support the other half of the investment.
Among the priorities are the development and validation of innovative and complex technologies, that will allow the design and production of aerodynamical and structural high-efficiency wings in composite material.
Also included in the project’s scope is the study of the feasibility of technologies associated with autonomous systems focusing on safety and pilot workload reduction. The technological readiness of these two research fronts allows for the potential development of lighter and more efficient aircraft with lower emissions.
