Embraer E2: The Regional Jet That Doesn't Feel Regional

The word "regional" in commercial aviation has long been a synonym for "uncomfortable" — cramped seats, tiny overhead bins, and the indignity of walking across a tarmac in the rain. The Embraer E2 family is systematically dismantling that association. Designed as a clean-sheet successor to the original E-Jets, the E2 family delivers an experience on 80-to-146-seat aircraft that comfortably rivals the mainline narrowbodies operated on longer routes. Here is what makes it different.

Design Philosophy: Mainline DNA in a Regional Body

Embraer's original E-Jets (E170, E175, E190, E195, introduced in the early 2000s) were already considered unusually comfortable for their size. The E2 program — launched in 2013 and entering service in 2018 — took that platform and fundamentally re-engineered it around three goals: substantially better fuel efficiency, reduced noise, and a cabin product that could genuinely compete with narrowbodies from Airbus and Boeing on short-haul routes.

The E2 achieves its fuel efficiency gains primarily through new Pratt & Whitney PW1700G (E175-E2) or PW1900G (E190-E2, E195-E2) geared turbofan engines — the same engine family used on the A220 and the A320neo. The geared turbofan allows each engine to run its fan and core at optimal speeds independently, reducing fuel burn by approximately 17–20% compared to the original E-Jets' CF34 engines. This translates directly to lower trip costs for airlines, which in turn enables more routes to be served economically.

The longer wingspan (with elegant new curved wingtip devices) and aerodynamic refinements to the fuselage contribute additional efficiency gains. The combined result is an aircraft that costs less per seat-mile to operate than many competing options — including, importantly, the ATR turboprops on some route lengths, which had previously been assumed to be inherently cheaper per seat.

The 2-2 Seating Configuration: No Middle Seats

The most important thing to know about flying an E2: there are no middle seats. The E2 family seats passengers in a 2-2 configuration throughout the entire aircraft. Every passenger has either a window or an aisle seat. This alone elevates the E2 experience above any 3-3 configured narrowbody.

Seat widths on the E195-E2, the largest E2 variant, typically run 18 inches in economy — identical to the A220 and wider than most 737 or A320 economy seats. Seat pitch is typically 30–32 inches in standard economy, consistent with short-to-medium-haul mainline narrowbodies. Some operators — particularly Porter Airlines with its E195-E2 operations from Toronto Billy Bishop Airport — configure the aircraft in a higher-density layout; but even then, the absence of middle seats remains a fundamental comfort advantage.

The three E2 variants seat:

• E175-E2: 80 passengers (2-class) to 88 passengers (1-class)
• E190-E2: 97 passengers (2-class) to 114 passengers (1-class)
• E195-E2: 120 passengers (2-class) to 146 passengers (1-class)

Overhead Bins: Finally Fixed

One of the most persistent frustrations on regional jets has been overhead bin size: on many regional aircraft, bins are too small for a standard carry-on roll-aboard, forcing passengers to gate-check bags. The original E-Jets had this problem — bins were designed to accommodate bags on their side but not wheel-first.

Embraer specifically redesigned the E2 overhead bins to accommodate standard roll-aboard bags wheel-first, one bag per row of two seats. This matches the capacity of narrowbody mainline aircraft and eliminates the gate-check frustration. The bins also close more smoothly due to a redesigned hinge mechanism — a detail that sounds trivial but materially improves the boarding experience and reduces the noise from slammed bins during taxi.

The E2's cabin ceiling is also noticeably higher than on the original E-Jets or competing regional jets like the Bombardier CRJ series. Passengers above six feet tall no longer need to stoop in the aisle — a dramatic improvement from CRJ operations where even average-height passengers brush their heads against the ceiling of the cabin.

Cabin Noise: Remarkably Low

The PW1900G geared turbofan engines on the E190-E2 and E195-E2 are among the quietest commercial turbofans in service. Embraer has measured the E195-E2 at 70.2 EPNdB on approach — dramatically below ICAO Chapter 14 noise limits. Inside the cabin, this translates to a cruise noise level comparable to aircraft many times the E2's size.

Porter Airlines' operations from Toronto Billy Bishop Airport — where strict noise regulations have historically excluded jet operations — demonstrate this practically: the E195-E2 is quiet enough to meet the airport's noise restrictions while operating commercial jet service, something no previous jet aircraft achieved at that facility. That same quietness benefits passengers on every flight, regardless of airport.

E175-E2 vs E195-E2: Which to Prefer

The three E2 variants offer the same fundamental cabin experience but in different scales. From a passenger standpoint:

• E175-E2: The smallest variant, primarily targeting the regional market in North America and Asia. Seats 80–88 passengers. The same 2-2 configuration as the larger variants. Less commonly encountered in Europe.
• E190-E2: Mid-size variant with 97–114 seats. Used by KLM Cityhopper on European routes, Helvetic Airways in Switzerland, and a growing number of operators in Latin America. Well-suited for thinner European routes where A320s are oversized.
• E195-E2: The largest variant, carrying 120–146 passengers. Competes most directly with the A220-300. Operated by Porter Airlines, Air New Zealand, Azul (Brazil), and others. At 146 seats in high-density configuration, the E195-E2 starts to approach mainline narrowbody capacity while maintaining the 2-2 no-middle-seat configuration throughout.

For most passengers, the E195-E2 is the most likely variant to be encountered outside North America. KLM Cityhopper has been a particularly high-profile E2 operator in Europe, using the aircraft to connect regional cities to Schiphol with a product that comfortably exceeds what passengers typically expect from "regional" service.

Airlines Operating the E2 Family

The E2 family has found its strongest market among airlines looking to serve medium-density routes with mainline quality. Notable operators include:

• Porter Airlines (Canada): The defining E195-E2 operator. Porter's transformation from a turboprop carrier to a coast-to-coast Canadian E195-E2 operator has been one of the most watched airline strategies in recent years. All seats have 32-inch pitch, USB-C and USB-A charging at every seat, and in-flight Wi-Fi.
• KLM Cityhopper (Netherlands): Operates E190-E2s as feeders into Schiphol for the KLM network. The cabin product on KLM Cityhopper's E2s is consistent with mainline KLM standards — a meaningful step up from the CRJ-700s and Fokker 70s the aircraft replaced.
• Air New Zealand (New Zealand): Uses E190-E2s on domestic routes within New Zealand, replacing ATR 72s. The E2's range allows direct services between secondary cities that previously required a stopover in Auckland.
• Azul Brazilian Airlines (Brazil): One of the world's largest E-Jets operators. Azul's E195-E2 fleet serves Brazil's extensive domestic network, including many cities with no A320 or 737 service.

For seat selection guidance on specific E2 variants, see our E195-E2 seat guide. For a comparison with its closest competitor, our E195-E2 vs A220-300 article breaks down how the two best narrow seats in commercial aviation compare head-to-head.