American carrier Horizon Air has signed an agreement with aircraft manufacturer Embraer which will provide support for 41 E175s in Horizon Air’s fleet.

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer has signed a contract with American carrier Horizon Air for the Embraer Collaborative Inventory Planning (ECIP), a customised expendables spare parts inventory management programme designed to help customers reduce operational costs by optimizing inventory levels. 

In a press statement, Embraer says that the agreement guarantees support for 41 E175 from Horizon Air fleet operating at the company hub in Portland, Oregon in United States. The contract also includes nine E175s to be delivered, totalling 50 aircraft covered. All the jets are flown by Horizon Air under the flag of its parent, Alaska Airlines. 

“We are very pleased to welcome Horizon Air to the Embraer Collaborative Inventory Planning. ECIP was designed to help our customers gain efficiency and reduce inventory costs in all operations. This is even more important for airlines with large fleets and fast growth like Horizon Air,” says Carlos Naufel, President and CEO, Embraer Services & Support.

The statement adds that ECIP offers several advantages to customers. First, most of the inventory investment is done by Embraer, reducing substantially the investment usually carried out by airlines. Also, fixed yearly pricing for each part allows customers to balance costs more precisely at guaranteed performance levels by Embraer Services & Support. 

The operation is data-driven, with a weekly ordering recommendation based on customer usage and stock level data that is created utilising advanced software and Embraer Planning experience shared collaboratively.  Finally, all airlines participating in ECIP can count on Embraer’s materials management expertise and a global logistics network with best-in-class performance.

Embraer adds that since it was founded in 1969, it has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.