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Japan Airlines picks the E190-E2 to replace J-Air's first generation E-Jets

Sixteen firm orders and ten options, announced on 14 October, with deliveries from the 2029 fiscal year. The aircraft replace J-Air's existing E170 and E190 fleet.

14 October 2026

A Embraer E-Jet E2, for illustration. Not the aircraft in this story. Photo: Colin Cooke Photo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Japan Airlines announced on 14 October 2026 that it will order up to 26 Embraer E190-E2 aircraft for its regional subsidiary J-Air. The deal is 16 firm orders and 10 options, with deliveries beginning in the 2029 fiscal year.

The aircraft replace J-Air's current fleet of first generation E170s and E190s, so this is a like for like generational swap within the same family rather than a change of supplier.

Japan Airlines framed the decision around sustaining a domestic network against rising operating costs, shifting demand and Japan's declining population. That reasoning is worth noting: a shrinking passenger base argues for right sizing rather than growth, and a 100 seat aircraft with better economics is the lever available.

On the line

This is a move from the CF34 to the Pratt and Whitney geared turbofan, which is a different maintenance world rather than a newer version of the same one. J-Air's engineering organisation gains exposure to the PW1900G, including whatever remains of the powder metal inspection campaign by 2029, and loses the CF34's unusually settled parts and shop network. Three years of lead time is the right amount for planning that transition, and the fleets will overlap during it.

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