Avelo Airlines orders up to 100 Embraer E195-E2, the first US carrier to do so

Avelo Airlines and Embraer have announced that the United States-based airline, which has been operating second-hand aircraft since its inception, has ordered up to 100 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, becoming the first carrier in the US to do so.

The deal is split between 50 firm and 50 optional orders, with deliveries starting in H1 2027. At list prices, the order is valued at $4.4 billion, which excludes the 50 optional E195-E2s.

Embraer noted that the E195-E2s will modernize the carrier’s fleet, complementing Avelo Airlines’ current fleet of 22 Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft, which is split between eight 737-700 and 14 737-800s, per planespotters.net.

Andrew Levy, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Avelo Airlines, stated that its customers will love the E195-E2’s comfortable 2-2 layout, with the aircraft offering in-seat power ports, large overhead bins, and a quiet cabin.

“The aircraft’s exceptional performance, size, and efficiency make it the perfect choice for the future growth of our scheduled service network.”

Arjan Meijer, the President and CEO of Embraer, added that the “E195‑E2 is a game‑changer for airlines that want to grow profitably while elevating the guest experience.”

“Its exceptional fuel efficiency, quiet operations, and short‑field capability will unlock new markets and optimize capacity across its network - all with a cabin that passengers truly love.”

The order came shortly after Avelo Airlines secured additional funding. On September 8, 2025, the carrier said that it had “closed on a new round of significant growth capital to support its continued expansion.”

However, the company did not disclose the amount it had raised, only stating that after closing its books for July 2025, it saw the “fourth fully allocated profit over the last five months, following approximately breakeven operating income in 2024 with no special items and no sale leaseback proceeds.”

Cirium’s Diio Mi, compiling the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) data, showed that in Q1 2025, Avelo Airlines suffered a net loss of $17 million, with the carrier’s revenues dipping to $39.3 million.

Previously, Avelo Airlines landed in hot water for signing a contract with the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE), assisting the latter with deportations using its own aircraft.

New Haven Immigrants Coalition (NHIC) launched a petition in May 2025, urging the airline to “halt plans to carry out deportation flights in cooperation with the Trump Administration.” The petition has amassed 39,793 signatures.

PaxEx.Aero’s Seth Miller launched the ‘Just say AvelNO!’ campaign, which included billboards near Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN) that urged potential passengers to consider whether their vacation supported immigrants’ deportations.

In response to the controversy, Levy said that it has been “sickening to be in the middle of political grandstanding and theatrics, but Avelo will never back down from doing what is best for our Crewmembers, our Customers, our Investors, our vendor partners, and the Communities we serve.”

Another thing to consider would be the potential tariffs that the US could impose on Brazil. On July 30, 2205, the Trump administration introduced 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports because Trump’s ally, Jair Bolsonaro, the former President of Brazil, is awaiting his verdict for pulling a similar stunt to Trump’s attempted coup on January 6, 2021.

While the order exempted “civil aircraft (all aircraft other than military aircraft); their engines, parts, and components; their other parts, components, and subassemblies; and ground flight simulators and their parts and components of Brazil,” the Trump administration’s policies have been all but predictable or rational.

Nevertheless, for Embraer, securing the order has significantly boosted its backlog, which, at the end of Q2 2025, included 437 aircraft: 39 E190-E2, 190 E195-E2, and 208 E175s.

The latter type’s backlog exclusively includes US regional airlines or their parent companies.

Avelo Airlines will become the second airline to operate the type in North America, following in the footsteps of Canada-based Porter Airlines, which has steadily grown following the delivery of its first E195-E2s in December 2022, which entered service in 2023.

While the Canadian carrier does not publicly disclose its financial data, previously, Julian Low, the Vice President of Corporate Development at Porter Airlines, said that its E195-E2s have “proven to be incredibly efficient, outperforming key operational and financial targets since entering our fleet in 2023.”