LATAM takes delivery of the first of 12 Embraer E195-E2s as it targets Brazilian expansion

LATAM Airlines Brazil has received the first of 12 Embraer E195-E2 jets scheduled for delivery this year. The delivery underpins the airline’s plans to extend its domestic network to smaller and previously unserved cities. It is also part of the airline group’s wider fleet renewal programme revealed in August.

The aircraft, the largest in Embraer’s second-generation E-Jets family, is expected to enter service between November 2026 and March 2027, once it completes final certification with Brazil’s Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and receives customs and cabin interior approvals.

Why the addition of the E195-E2 to LATAM’s fleet matters

LATAM currently serves 63 airports across Brazil, up from 44 airports six years ago. Adding Embraer’s E195-E2 to its fleet is integral to the next phase of growth for the Latin American carrier.  

“With the E2, we will connect new markets with strong demand and economic potential to our global network,” said Jerome Cadier, CEO of LATAM Airlines Brazil. The addition of the Embraer jet will enable the airline to “surpass the milestone of 70 airports served in Brazil as early as 2027,” he added.

The right-sized jet should make thinner routes viable. The E195-E2 offers up to 30% lower fuel burn than first-generation E-Jets, a range of 3,000 nm and fourth-generation fly-by-wire avionics.

How the E195-E2 will be distributed across LATAM’s fleet

In total, LATAM has an order for up to 74 of the aircraft type, with the first 12 scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026 and 12 more expected in 2027.

Initially, 14 of the aircraft will be deployed across 42 routes, including eight new routes and four brand-new destinations: Cabo Frio, Ji-Paraná, Macaé and Rondonópolis. With 12 more aircraft of this type scheduled for delivery in 2027. LATAM is currently assessing up to 18 new destinations.

Francisco Gomes Neto, CEO of Embraer, agreed the aircraft will play an important role in the company’s expansion plans, “offering a combination of efficiency, operational flexibility and comfort.”

It is “gratifying”, he said, “to see the E195-E2 contributing to connecting new destinations and supporting the development of air transportation in Brazil.”

LATAM, which was named Airline of the Year at the 2026 Air Transport World awards and Best Airline in South America at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline awards, moved quickly to certify the E195-E2. It completed the process roughly a year after announcing the order, using Embraer’s demonstrator, the Profit Hunter, for evacuation demonstrations, evaluation flights and crew training.

Inside LATAM’s E195-E2 cabin

With 136 eco-leather upholstered seats in a 2-2 configuration, and therefore no middle seat, the cabin will feature up to 20 premium economy seats, with the rest in economy. Registered LATAM Pass members can access free WiFi, while every seat will feature a USB-C port and access to LATAM Play, the airline’s in-flight entertainment platform.

The E195-E2 fleet will join LATAM Airlines’ existing fleet of Boeing 777s, 787-9s, 787-8s, 767-300s and Airbus A321s, A320s and A319s.