Embraer’s E2 has emerged as the leading candidate in Japan Airlines’ evaluation of new regional jets, ahead of the Airbus A220, according to Bloomberg News.
The Japanese carrier is considering an order for around 20 aircraft and could make its choice as early as October, people familiar with the discussions told the news agency.
Embraer enters the competition with a long-standing relationship with JAL. Its J-Air subsidiary operates 18 E170s and 14 E190s on domestic routes, giving the E2 a direct connection to the airline’s existing regional operation.
That relationship was extended only days ago, when JAL renewed its Pool Program agreement with Embraer for the 32 E-Jets. The deal keeps component support for the current fleet in place while the airline evaluates its next regional aircraft.
E2 and A220 compete for SpaceJet’s former role
Japan Airlines had already chosen a successor to its Embraer regional jets more than a decade ago, but that aircraft never reached service.
JAL ordered 32 Mitsubishi Regional Jets in 2015, following a preliminary agreement announced the previous year. The Japanese-built aircraft, subsequently renamed SpaceJet, were due to enter service with J-Air from 2021.
The SpaceJet was expected to gradually replace the E170 and E190 on JAL’s domestic regional network. Development and certification delays prevented Mitsubishi from delivering any of the 32 aircraft before Mitsubishi Heavy Industries terminated the program in 2023.
The collapse of the SpaceJet left JAL with its existing Embraer fleet and without the replacement it had selected. The E2 and A220 are now competing for that role more than a decade after the original MRJ decision.
An E2 order would put the aircraft at both of Japan’s largest airline groups. ANA Holdings ordered 15 E190-E2s with five options in 2025 and added eight firm aircraft in 2026, taking its order to 23. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2028.
