Airlink joins the Embraer E2 crew with 10 aircraft leased from Azorra
August 7, 2025
South African airline Airlink will become a new operator of the Embraer E2 jet as it firmed up its lease agreement for 10 of the type with Azorra.
Ordered at the Paris Air Show, the lease deal was signed today, finalising the South African airline’s future.
“It is an exciting and daunting moment for Airlink,” says Airlink CEO, de Villiers Engelbrecht. “Exciting because it heralds the next phase of Airlink’s development and growth as the leading regional airline in Southern Africa and now possibly beyond. Daunting, as there is a lot to do in the weeks ahead before the first aircraft enters service, hopefully in December this year, but I have no doubt that the Airlink team will deliver, as they always do.”
Airlink is a long-standing Embraer customer, already operating an all-Embraer fleet split between the ERJ-145, E175 and E190/195 for a total fleet size of 70 aircraft.
The E195-E2 will be one of the largest aircraft the airline operates. At present, it has just 6 of the largest E1 variant of the type, the E195, and 29 of the slightly smaller E190.
“The addition of the E195-E2 to their fleet highlights our shared commitment to operational efficiency, sustainable growth, and increased capacity and service,” says John Evans, CEO at Azorra. “We’re proud to work alongside Embraer and Pratt & Whitney to bring next-generation aircraft to Airlink, supporting enhanced connectivity across Africa.”
Deliveries of the 10 E195-E2s from Embraer’s facilities in Brazil will begin later this year and be completed in 2027.
The Embraer E2 will make Airlink even more competitive
Embraer noted that the aircraft will be equipped with either 136 or 124 seats, suggesting some will be single class while others will offer a business class. Airlink operates its current fleet of E195s with 107 seats, 11 in business class and 96 in economy.
Adding more seats is a quick way to make flights more profitable, and combined with the E2s increased efficiency, the new additions are anticipated to achieve fuel savings of up to 29% compared to the earlier generation E195s.
The airline will be in a position to capitalise on lower unit costs on its most in-demand routes, and with the extended range of the E2, Airlink will be able to open new connections across South Africa.
“This aircraft is the most efficient single-aisle jet in its class,” says Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. “It’s perfectly suited to support Airlink’s ambitious growth plans across Southern Africa.
Azorra has orders for both the E2 and A220
Azorra’s order book includes both the Embraer E2 family and its closest competitor, the Airbus A220. In all, the lessor has 20 Embraer E2 on order, with a further 30 options, and 22 A220 family in the backlog.
Embraer has long touted the advantages the E2 series can bring to African airlines, balancing perfectly the efficiency and economic requirements with the right size and range to enhance intra-African connectivity.
Airlink will become the second African airline to operate the type after Air Peace with its fleet of five.
