São Paulo, February 9, 2022 – Azul S.A., “Azul”, (B3: AZUL4, NYSE: AZUL), the largest airline in Brazil by departures and number of cities served, announces today the world’s first Embraer Class F freighter.
This innovative initiative was conducted in-house in partnership with LHColus Tecnologia, starting with the conceptual design development, cabin preparation, proof of concept and test flights, finally leading to aircraft certification by ANAC on February 1st this year.
The addition of this fleet type to Azul Cargo’s operation adds unmatched flexibility and cost effectiveness to its logistics operation. This innovation expands the cargo capacity of the Embraer E195 (“E1”) from 7 to 15 tons, significantly leveraging its low trip cost to help Azul Cargo transform logistics in Brazil. This also reinforces Azul’s commitment to the environment, as this gain in efficiency is equivalent to a reduction of 7,900 tons of carbon emitted per aircraft, per year.
“Azul has helped to double the size of the Brazilian aviation market over the last thirteen years. A key driver of that growth was the E1. Today with the launch of the world’s first Embraer Class F freighter we again aim to transform the Brazilian market, this time in logistics,” says Abhi Shah, Azul’s Chief Revenue Officer. “With unmatched operational flexibility, reliability, and access to varied airport infrastructure, the E1 Class F is the perfect platform to deliver a competitive advantage to our logistics customers,” completes Shah.
Class F Cabin
“Class F” category means that the aircraft is certified to transport cargo in the cabin in heat and fire-resistant containers with an innovative thermal camera fire detection system.