Air Kiribati, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kiribati in the central Pacific, has received its first Embraer E190-E2 jet, making it the launch operator for the aircraft type in the Asia Pacific.
Embraer announced the contract with the Government of Kiribati and Air Kiribati in 2018, with the order comprising of two E190-E2s and purchase rights for two more.
“Aviation is critical for any island nation and Kiribati is no exception. Our government has made the conscious decision to take into our hands the opportunity to unlock economic prosperity for our people and our nation through the purchase of these two aircraft,” commented Hon. Willie Tokataake, Minister for Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development of the Kiribati Government. “The arrival of our first jet today is the culmination of three years of vision, strategic thought, government focus, research, evaluation, hard work, commitment, partnership and a good measure of problem solving.”
The aircraft will seat 92 passengers in a dual class configuration, with 12 seats in business class and 80 seats in economy.
Spanning four time zones and comprised of more than 30 islands, Kiribati is the only country in the world to be in all four hemispheres.
Embraer suggest that with its maximum range of up to 2,850 nautical miles, the E190-E2 will enable the airline to fly longer domestic and international routes throughout Kiribati, including nonstop from Tarawa to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, which the company explains is one of the most challenging routes in the Pacific. The current domestic flight from Tarawa to Kiritimati requires an international stopover in Fiji.
“This is first E190-E2 delivered in the Pacific region,” said Cesar Pereira, Asia Pacific Vice President, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We’re are honoured that Air Kiribati selected the E190-E2 as the best fit for the airline’s challenging flying environment.”
