Polish national airline Lot has announced that it will lease three new E195-E2 jets, which will all be delivered by October this year, adding a new type of aircraft to its fleet.

Lot Polish Airlines, the flag carrier of Poland, will upgrade its fleet with Embraer E195-E2 to enhance operational flexibility and accommodate network expansion.

According to a press statement by Embraer, Lot will lease three new E195-E2 from Florida-based commercial aircraft lessor Azorra, saying it is a more sustainable choice with 25 pc more fuel-efficiency.

Embraer says that the first jet will arrive by the end of July this year, with all aircraft deliveries completed by October.

Lot says it requires a flexible solution for its capacity needs as the airline’s network grows, which is what the E2 allows over its existing E-Jet first generation flight crews.

It says that E2 offers a spacious and comfortable cabin experience for passengers with no middle seats and is a larger narrow body aircraft at similar seat costs.

“Embracing the future with a nod to our pioneering past, we are pleased to announce the lease of three state-of-the-art Embraer E195-E2 jets from Azorra. This strategic enhancement to our fleet not only marks our continued commitment to sustainable aviation but also celebrates our partnership with Embraer since the introduction of the first E-Jet in 2004,” says Michał Fijoł, CEO of Lot Polish Airlines.

“With the E195-E2’s exceptional efficiency and passenger comfort, we are set to enhance our network, introducing additional frequencies to selected destinations,” Fijoł adds.

“As an existing customer to Azorra, we’re proud to support Lot in its strategic growth and operation of one of the youngest fleets in Europe. These new E195-E2s from our orderbook offer demonstrable benefits for Lot, reducing fuel burn, carbon emissions and operating costs, while enhancing passenger comfort. We thank Embraer and Pratt & Whitney for their ongoing partnership as we continue to expand the E2’s customer base,” says John Evans, CEO and founder of Azorra.

“Lot is a pioneer airline, the global launch customer for the E-jets, and though 90 airlines have since operated the aircraft – the first is always special. Lot’s first move into the E2 is an important moment for Embraer. We’re celebrating Lot’s first E2s, the 20th anniversary of the E-Jet program, and our 25 year relationship with Poland’s flag carrier, the first Embraer aircraft delivered to Lot was the ERJ145 in 1999. We look forward to our continued partnership with LOT, including the new opportunities for the E2, the most fuel efficient, quietest, and least costly jet to operate in the small narrowbody segment,” says Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

The airline adds that its latest addition, the E195-E2 seats a maximum of 146 passengers, in a comfortable single class layout with 136 seats.

The statement says that Lot was the first operator of the new E-Jet in 2004. The first flight, on March 17, 2004, was completed by an E170 from Poland’s capital to Vienna. The 85-minute, 520 km flight to Vienna marked the beginning of success of Embraer’s new aircraft family and the 1800th E-Jet in the programme, an E190-E2, was recently delivered to Royal Jordanian, the flag carrier of Jordan.

Today Lot says it has a fleet of 43 E-jets making it one of the largest operators of E-jets in Europe. To date, Lot’s E-jet fleet has flown 850 million km, over 1.4 million flight hours, and has carried more than 60 million passengers, almost twice the population of Poland.