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Virgin Australia has shown off a picture of its first Embraer E190-E2 as it prepares for the plane’s delivery next month.
The new regional jet, snapped in an Embraer hangar in Brazil, is set to bear the registration VH-E2A and the name “Coral Bay”, and is expected to touch down in Australia in early September.
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“When it enters service, the E2 will be the first brand new aircraft in the Western Australia charter market this century. It delivers 30 per cent lower emissions than the Fokker 100 it replaces and boasts the quietest performance in its class,” Virgin Australia said on LinkedIn.
“Our Flight Crew, Cabin Crew and Engineers are already deep in training – including pilot simulator sessions at the CAE Training Centre in Singapore – as we get ready to welcome this exciting new addition to the fleet.”
The aircraft, to be based in Perth and used for Virgin Australia Regional Airlines (VARA), will be the first E190-E2s to be operated by a major airline group in Australia, though various carriers, including QantasLink, Alliance, and National Jet Express, operate the original E190.
The second-generation E-Jets, a replacement for VARA’s ageing Fokker 100 fleet, will begin operating charter flights in October with regular passenger transport (RPT) services to follow starting from November, according to data from AeroRoutes.
The information from VARA’s Northern Winter 2025 schedule (October 2025-March 2026) suggests that the first FIFO services for the E190-E2 will be Perth-Boolgeeda, starting 27 October, with the first RPT service to be Perth–Newman on 14 November.
In an update in March this year, VARA executive general manager Nathan Miller said the planes will mainly be used for charter and FIFO operations.
“We have opted for a dual-class layout, which actually gives us three product options when you include our extra legroom option, Economy X,” he said.
“It means we have the flexibility to use the aircraft for regular commercial operations on the days of the week when there is less charter demand and leisure traffic is higher.”
Virgin Australia last year chose the E190-E2 over the rival Airbus A220-100, with eight currently on order. It will allow VARA to phase out its last four Fokker 100s, which have an average age of around 30 years.
