First ERJ 170 Jet Is Delivered to Virgin Blue

Embraer delivered the first ERJ 170 jet to Australia's Virgin Blue Airlines Pty Ltd., the first Pacific-based airline to sign with Embraer. Virgin Blue has six firm orders for the ERJ 170 and 14 for the ERJ 190. The E-Jets will be the backbone of the airline's expansion. In November 2006, Virgin Blue placed an initial order for three ERJ 170's and 11 ERJ 190's. In April 2007, the airline confirmed three 170 options and three 190 purchase rights, for the current total of 20 firm orders. The company also has three options for the 190 and 17 purchase rights. Virgin Blue's 170s are configured with 78 seats, while the 190s have 104 seats, both in single-class configuration. The 190 will be the first of the family in the world to fly under the ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) certification, starting in the first half of 2008.