Nigerian carrier Air Peace has officially inaugurated its first Embraer E195-E2. The airline took delivery of its first E2 in January and has since added two more. After over six months of waiting, these new, modern regional jets have officially flown their first passengers. Let's find out more.

On its way

According to The Will, Air Peace has officially commissioned its first E195-E2 into passenger service on Monday, 19th July. The aircraft took off from the airline's base in Lagos, Nigeria, and has flown multiple rotations.

It was all smiles at the inaugural flight, as Air Peace celebrated its youngest aircraft fleet and became the first African E2 operator. The planes are currently being used for domestic rotations within Nigeria, flying to Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Kano, and several others.

Out of Air Peace's three delivered E2s, two are currently flying, according to data from RadarBox.com. 5N-BYF, the airline's first E2, and 5N-BYH, the most recent delivery, are the two that have been flying. After over a month of non-passenger flights, the airline is finally ready to take off. Meanwhile, 5N-BYG has flown several test flights in June but has not yet entered commercial service.

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Big step

For Air Peace, the addition of the E2 is a big step towards modernizing its aging fleet. In a statement, a spokesperson said,

"Air Peace cares so much about the comfort of its customers and that explains why we keep investing in brand new aircraft to give the average passenger a memorable experience to look forward to on-board. This fleet expansion is also driven by our ambition to provide numerous connections for the flying public.”

Air Peace E195
Air Peace is looking to maintain its dominance in West Africa and continue growing in the coming years. Photo: Embraer

In total, Air Peace has ordered 13 of the new E2s, which it will deploy on domestic and short-haul international flights. With three already here, the carrier is expecting to take delivery of five more E2s in 2021 alone, finishing a bulk of its order. The airline has long spoken about why it opted to purchase and boost its E2 order, citing the strong economics of the plane for its operations.

Layout

For those who have the chance to try out Air Peace's E2 fleet, you might find something interesting in the cabin layout. Instead of a standard 1-2 seat layout in business class, the airline has chosen to go with Embraer's staggered seat layout. This means all travelers have direct aisle access while still offering a 2-2 configuration.

Air Peace Embraer E195 Business Class cabin
The business class seats are offset for passengers to enter and leave without bothering their seat neighbors. Photo: Embraer

Considering Air Peace is planning to use the E195s as feeder flights from its long-haul operations, having a premium business class cabin will go a long way for passengers. Moreover, those on domestic legs will undoubtedly enjoy the new cabin and overall E2 experience.

As the E2 becomes more prominent in Air Peace's fleet, expect their deployment on more domestic and international routes.

What do you think about Air Peace's new Embraer fleet? Let us know in the comments!