In February 2023, Singapore Airlines subsidiary Scoot placed an interesting aircraft order with Embraer. Just over a year later, the first of these jets is now joining the carrier’s fleet.
Scoot acquiring nine Embraer E190-E2s
Scoot is adding nine Embraer E190-E2 aircraft to its fleet, in a deal that involves leasing company Azorra. The first E190-E2 has just been delivered, and it’s expected that all nine jets will join Scoot’s fleet by 2025.
Scoot is the first airline in Singapore to fly the Embraer E190-E2. For those of you not familiar with the Embraer E190-E2, this is the latest generation jet of the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer’s lineup. Scoot’s E190-E2s have the capacity to carry 112 passengers in a one class configuration, and the plane is in a 2-2 layout. The plane has the range to fly 2,850 nautical miles, though Scoot is unlikely to be maxing out that range with any routes it operates.
Scoot’s fleet currently consists of over 50 aircraft, including Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 family aircraft. The airline operates flights across Asia and beyond.
Some may wonder why Scoot ordered the Embraer E190-E2 over something like the Airbus A220. My guess is that it comes down to a lower purchase price, plus the ability to take delivery of these aircraft faster.
Where will Scoot fly its Embraer E190-E2s?
It’s interesting to see a Singaporean low cost carrier go for a much smaller jet than it previously had. As Scoot explains, the plane will be used to operate thinner routes to non-metro destinations out of Singapore.
The plane won’t just be used for routes with limited demand, but also for airports that can’t accommodate larger jets. For example, Koh Samui Airport (USM) doesn’t allow any aircraft larger than Airbus A319s. As a result, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiaries haven’t been able to fly to Koh Samui since SilkAir retired its A319s. There are some other smaller island airports in the region that could be served by the Embraer E190-E2, but not by any of Scoot’s other planes.
Scoot’s first Embraer E190-E2 will enter service as of May 2024. Initial destinations from Singapore (SIN) include airports across Thailand and Malaysia:
- Krabi, Thailand (KBV)
- Hat Yai, Thailand (HDY)
- Koh Samui, Thailand (USM)
- Miri, Malaysia (MYY)
- Kuantan, Malaysia (KUA)
- Sibu, Malaysia (SBW)
I know I’m just dreaming and this won’t happen, but am I the only one who kind of wishes that Singapore Airlines would instead add these planes to its fleet? Keep in mind that Singapore Airlines merged subsidiary SilkAir into its mainline fleet, and now Singapore Airlines flies Boeing 737s (previously the airline just flew wide bodies).
If you ask me, it would be great if Singapore Airlines directly had access to many of these smaller holiday destinations from Singapore, given how well it would connect into Singapore Airlines’ long haul network. The reality is that otherwise the experience between Singapore Airlines and Scoot isn’t exactly seamless, given the totally different passenger experience offered by the two carriers.
Bottom line
Singapore Airlines subsidiary Scoot has just taken delivery of its first of nine Embraer E190-E2s, all of which should join the fleet by 2025. These planes will be used to operate thin, regional routes within Asia. It’s cool to see this Brazilian jet coming to Singapore.
Personally I’d love to see this integrated into Singapore Airlines’ fleet, so the carrier could operate routes to some regional destinations. However, that’s not happening, and I suppose seems like the next best thing.
What do you make of Scoot adding the Embraer E190-E2 to its fleet?
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