Embraer E190-E2

Updated: October 2026 – A small jet with a 2+2 cabin taxis to the runway, the engines look almost too big for the fuselage, and the wings end long and slim without a winglet: that is very likely an Embraer E190-E2. At first glance it looks confusingly like its predecessor, the E190, but technically it is a largely new aircraft. Here you will learn how to recognize it with certainty, how to tell it from the E190 and E195-E2 and where you can get it in front of your lens in German-speaking countries.

What is the Embraer E190-E2?

The E190-E2 is the mid-size model of the second E-Jet generation. Embraer launched the E2 program at the Paris Air Show in June 2013, aiming to make the successful E-Jets fit to face new competition such as the then Bombardier CSeries – today the Airbus A220. Instead of a completely new aircraft there was a deep redesign: the fuselage with the proven 2+2 cabin stayed, and almost everything else was new.

What is new is above all the wing, the engines, the landing gear and the flight controls. The first E-Jet generation already flew with fly-by-wire; the E2 uses an advanced version with a closed control loop that stabilizes the aircraft more actively. Among other things, that allowed a smaller horizontal stabilizer – less area means less drag.

The aircraft was unveiled on February 25, 2016, at Embraer’s home plant in São José dos Campos and flew there for the first time on May 23, 2016. On February 28, 2018, the Brazilian ANAC, the US FAA and the European EASA granted type certification on the same day – an unusual lockstep. The first operator was Norway’s Widerøe, which took delivery of its first E190-E2 in April 2018 and operated the first scheduled flight between Bergen and Tromsø on April 24, 2018.

What the E2 does differently technically

The technical changes are interesting for you as a spotter, because almost every one of them is visible from the outside.

The wing is completely new and much longer. With a wingspan of about 33.7 meters it is about five meters wider than the E190’s wing, and it is slimmer – experts speak of a higher aspect ratio. Instead of upturned winglets, the wings end in long, swept-back tips. According to Embraer, the new wing contributes just under five percentage points to the fuel savings.

The engines come from Pratt & Whitney’s PW1900G series. They are geared turbofans: a reduction gearbox separates the large fan from the fast-spinning turbine, so both run in their respective optimal speed range. The fan has a diameter of about 1.9 meters, and the bypass ratio is around 12 to 1. That makes the nacelles much bulkier than the slim General Electric engines of the first generation. The same engine family (in a different thrust class) is also in the Airbus A220 and in parts of the A320neo fleet.

The main landing gear is about 50 centimeters taller so that the large engines have enough clearance above the ground. It also got cover doors that enclose the wheels when retracted. On the first generation the tires stay visible from below in flight – a nice detail for flyover photos.

All told, after flight testing Embraer cited a fuel burn 17.3 percent lower than the E190. Most of that comes from the engines, the rest from the wing and tail.

The four features that are enough to identify it

With the first three features you determine the generation, with the fourth the model. In the end the registration confirms what you saw. How to classify types systematically in general is explained in the guide Identifying aircraft types for beginners.

The E190-E2 compared with its siblings

Model	ICAO code	Length	Wingtip	Engine
E190	E190	about 36.2 m	Upturned winglet	GE CF34-10E
E190-E2	E290	about 36.2 m	Swept back, no winglet	PW1900G
E195	E195	about 38.7 m	Upturned winglet	GE CF34-10E
E195-E2	E295	about 41.5 m	Swept back, no winglet	PW1900G

The table shows the basic problem: against the E190, length does not help at all; against the E195-E2 it helps all the more. Embraer stretched the E195-E2 by three rows of seats compared with the old E195 – making it the largest E-Jet, and next to the E190-E2 it looks like a different aircraft. The smaller E175 so far exists only in the first generation; Embraer has shelved the E175-E2.

E190-E2, E190 or Airbus A220?

The most common mix-up happens with the first generation, the second most common with the Airbus A220 – it too has large geared turbofans and looks compact. The finder helps you narrow it down.

By the way, the Airbus A220-300 is a competitor not only visually: it flies for Swiss on many European routes that are at times also served by Helvetic E2s. At Zurich Airport you can therefore often compare the two types directly one after the other.

Where you find the E190-E2

The E190-E2 is a comparatively rare aircraft. According to the available statistics, Embraer has so far delivered only a few dozen – clearly fewer than of the larger E195-E2. All the more worthwhile to know where to look.

Helvetic Airways is the most important operator for spotters in the German-speaking region. The Swiss airline took delivery of its first E190-E2 in October 2019. By its own account, Helvetic operates an all-Embraer fleet of E190s, E195s, E190-E2s and E195-E2s; its E190-E2 is fitted with 110 seats in one class. A large part of the fleet flies on a long-term wet lease for Swiss, and its home base is Zurich Airport. You can find more about the airline in the profile of Helvetic Airways, and how the wet lease model works is explained in Wet lease explained simply.

Widerøe from Norway was the first operator and flies the E190-E2 mainly on routes within Norway. If you are traveling in Scandinavia, for example at Oslo Airport, you have a chance. More on the airline in the profile of Widerøe.

Luxair ordered three E190-E2s in 2026; its first second-generation E-Jets, however, are E195-E2s. When the E190-E2 will show up in Luxembourg is open – a look at the profile of Luxair is worthwhile if you want to follow the development.

Outside Europe, Scoot, Royal Jordanian, Virgin Australia and Mexicana, among others, fly the E190-E2, and in Japan the ANA group has ordered the type. For European spotters those are more bucket-list destinations.

Place	Chance of a hit	Why
Zurich	high	Helvetic’s home base, E2 on Swiss European routes
German airports with Swiss connections	medium	Helvetic flies part of the Swiss rotations to Germany
Norway	medium	First operator Widerøe
Other regional airports	low	Only on charter or replacement flights

Spotting in Zurich: an E2 hunt with a plan

In Zurich, Observation Deck B is the comfortable way in: you see the Swiss and Helvetic aircraft taxiing and at the stands and can study the E2 features at leisure. For landings and takeoffs up close, Butzenbüel is popular. Which spot suits depends on the runway direction in use, which in Zurich is strongly shaped by time of day and wind. How to assess it in advance is covered in the article Understanding the runway direction in use at an airport.

Whether your vantage point is legally unproblematic is clarified by the article Is plane spotting allowed?.

Photo tips specifically for the E190-E2

The E190-E2 is a small aircraft with big details. A few points help get them into the picture.

You can calculate in advance when the light suits your spot; how, the guide Planning the sun position for your photo spot explains. Which equipment you really need is in the Plane spotting gear checklist. And if you are just starting out, Plane spotting for beginners gets you on course quickly.

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

Conclusion

The E190-E2 is an aircraft for spotters who look closely: the fuselage is a familiar one, while wing, engines and landing gear give away the new generation. Because only a few fly, every sighting is a small hit. In German-speaking countries the path almost always leads through Helvetic Airways and the Swiss connections from Zurich; a prospect of more E2 traffic comes with the Luxair order.