Finnair has announced that it has ordered up to 46 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft and will also introduce up to 12 second-hand Airbus A320ceo and/or A321ceo aircraft to replace its oldest A319ceo and A320ceos, signaling that the airline has opted for the practical route to renew its short-haul fleet.
New and old aircraft
On March 23, 2026, Finnair confirmed that it signed an agreement with Embraer to order up to 46 E195-E2s, splitting the order into 18 firm, 16 options, and 12 purchase rights. The Finnish carrier will also purchase PW1900G engines, including spares, and maintenance services from Pratt & Whitney to support its fleet.
The PW1900G is the only engine option for the E2 aircraft family.
Finnair also said that it will source up to 12 second-hand A320ceo and/or A321ceo aircraft, which will replace its oldest A320ceo family aircraft. Currently, the Finnish carrier has five A319ceo, 10 A320ceo, and 14 A321ceo aircraft, per planespotters.net.
While the A321ceos are relatively young – an average age of 12 years – the A319ceo and A320ceo are, on average, 25 years and 24 years old, respectively. The youngest A319ceo was delivered in 2004, while the four others were handed over in 2000 (two), 2002, and 2003.
Turkka Kuusisto, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Finnair, said that purchasing new and used aircraft will support the airline’s profitability in “an optimal way,” positioning itself to grow its network and improve the customer experience.
“The Embraer E195-E2 is a great match for our needs, enabling a stronger regional network that both strengthens connectivity to and from Finland, and efficiently feeds our long-haul network.”
Rytis Beresnevicius
(Almost) Immediate deliveries
One of the benefits of ordering the E195-E2, as well as taking up used A320ceo family aircraft, is that Finnair will be able to get the aircraft almost immediately, with E195-E2 deliveries starting in 2027.
Three E195-E2s will be delivered in 2027, six in 2028, and another six in 2029. Norra, Finnair’s regional partner, operates its ATR turboprops and 12 E190s with an average airframe age of 18 years.
Not only will the E195-E2s reduce Finnair’s fuel expenses – with the airline claiming a 30% per-seat fuel efficiency boost compared to the E190 – but it will also allow the carrier to upgauge some of its regional services, if it chooses to deploy the E195-E2s on the same routes that are currently flown with E190s.
Finnair’s E190s are configured with 100 all-economy seats, while the E195-E2s will have 134 seats, with the small narrowbody having an exit limit of 146 seats.
Similar to the E195-E2s, the decision to take up used A320ceo family aircraft will allow Finnair to replace some of its aging narrowbodies almost immediately. The airline could, for example, look to acquire ex-Spirit Airlines airframes since the low-cost carrier has been shedding assets amid its Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
“The exact number of the planned A320/321ceos and their delivery times will be specified as preparations proceed.”
