Embraer E195

Long, slim and with classic winglets: the Embraer E195 is the largest jet of the first E-Jet generation and, for many spotters, the type on which you learn the subtleties of the Embraer family. It looks like an E190, only stretched – and by now has a successor that is longer still. Here you will learn how to recognize the E195, how to tell it from the E190 and E195-E2 and where it comes in front of your lens in Germany, Austria and Poland.

What is the Embraer E195?

The E195 belongs to Embraer’s E-Jet family, which consists of two size pairs: the shorter E170 and E175 and the longer E190 and E195. The E195 is the stretch of the E190 and thus the largest model of the family. Internally Embraer therefore also lists it as the ERJ 190-200 – a sign of how closely the two types are related.

The E195 made its first flight on December 7, 2004, and the first generation was built at Embraer’s home plant in São José dos Campos. The first operator was the British regional airline Flybe, which put the type into scheduled service in September 2006. Flybe is now history, while the E195 still flies with numerous airlines around the world.

Like the E190, the E195 flies with two General Electric CF34-10E engines under the wings, fly-by-wire controls and a glass cockpit. The range is about 4,260 kilometers and the maximum takeoff weight a good 52 tonnes. That covers the typical European feeder and city connections on which an Airbus A320neo or a Boeing 737-800 would be too big.

Why the E195 looks so stretched

The key to the E195 lies in a design decision: Embraer simply lengthened the E190 without enlarging the wing. Both models have the same wingspan of about 28.7 meters, the same engines and practically the same tail. The E195 fuselage, however, is almost 2.4 meters longer.

You can see the result especially well in a flyover or in side view: the E195 looks long and narrow, almost a little overstretched. The fuselage is about ten meters longer than the wings are wide. On the E190 this ratio is more balanced, and on the E175 the aircraft looks almost stubby.

Like all E-Jets, the E195 has a double-bubble cross-section, that is, a fuselage made of two circular arcs stacked on top of each other. It allows four seats per row in a 2+2 layout and standing headroom in the aisle. Every passenger sits at the window or on the aisle – a comfort argument with which the type scored with network airlines in Europe.

The E-Jets compared

Within the family the models differ mainly in length. In the E195’s case, its successor from the E2 generation is also clearly longer again.

Model	ICAO code	Length	Wingspan	First flight
E175	E75S / E75L	31.67 m	smaller wing	first generation
E190	E190	36.25 m	about 28.7 m	March 12, 2004
E195	E195	38.66 m	about 28.7 m	December 7, 2004
E195-E2	E295	41.51 m	35.12 m	March 29, 2017

The table shows the dilemma: the E190 and E195 are separated only by the fuselage, while the E195 and E195-E2 are separated by wings, engines and length. The question of generation is therefore easier to answer than the question of model within the first generation.

E195 or E190? The proportions decide

Without a direct comparison, the 2.4-meter difference is hard to judge. With a few reference points, identification still works:

E195 or E195-E2? How to tell the generations apart

The E195-E2 is not a refreshed E195 but a largely new aircraft. Its first flight took place on March 29, 2017, and the first aircraft went to Brazil’s Azul in September 2019. Fortunately for you as a spotter, the differences are clear:

• Wingtips: The E195 has upturned winglets. The E2 gets by without winglets, its wings ending long and swept back.
• Wingspan: The E2 reaches a good 35 meters, the E195 about 28.7 meters. In a flyover the E2 therefore looks like a different aircraft.
• Engines: The E2 flies with Pratt & Whitney PW1900G, a geared turbofan with a large diameter. The nacelles are visibly bulkier than those of the CF34.
• Length and landing gear: The E2 is almost three meters longer and stands on taller landing gear.

You can find the detailed description of the successor in the profile of the Embraer E195-E2, and the smaller E2 sister in the profile of the E190-E2.

Where you see the E195 in Europe

In Europe the E195 is mainly a group aircraft of the Lufthansa Group. The story begins in 2009: on September 24, Embraer handed over the first E195 for Lufthansa in Brazil, operated by Lufthansa CityLine and based in Munich. Today the aircraft are spread mainly across two group airlines:

• Air Dolomiti flies the E195 for the group mainly between Italy and the hubs of Munich and Frankfurt, plus on other European routes. According to fleet overviews, there were about 20 E195s with 120 seats each in mid-2026, plus a few E190s. The E195 fleet keeps growing because Air Dolomiti is taking over used aircraft from Austrian.
• Austrian Airlines announced in 2015 the purchase of 17 E195s from the Lufthansa Group that had previously belonged to Lufthansa CityLine. From 2016 they replaced the Fokker 70 and Fokker 100. The farewell is now under way: the first aircraft left the fleet in December 2025, and Austrian wants to give up the type completely by the end of 2028. 13 aircraft are moving to Air Dolomiti, four will be sold. Replacements come in the form of new Airbus A320neos.
• LOT Polish Airlines operates one of the largest E195 fleets in Europe. In June 2025, however, LOT decided in favor of the Airbus A220, with deliveries starting in 2027 according to the announcement. The first-generation E-Jets, including the E195, will then be replaced step by step. How the A220 differs from the E195 is shown in the profile of the A220-300.

Outside Europe, Brazil’s Azul is the largest E195 operator. Austrian and LOT are members of the Star Alliance, and Air Dolomiti belongs to the Lufthansa Group as a subsidiary – so your chances of an E195 are particularly good at the Star Alliance hubs of Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna and Warsaw.

Fleet numbers and assignments are constantly changing at all three European operators right now. So before you go spotting, check in the tracker which type is actually flying your preferred connection instead of relying on a fixed rotation.

Spotting tips for the E195

Munich and Frankfurt

At Munich Airport, Air Dolomiti’s E195s are part of everyday life, because many of the group’s Italy connections converge there. The visitors’ hill is the classic starting point. In Frankfurt you can catch the aircraft on approach from the Zeppelinheim viewing platform, for example. You can find more on the hub in the profile of Frankfurt Airport.

Vienna

If you want to collect the Austrian E195 in its red-white-red livery, head to Schwechat. The spotters’ hill at Vienna Airport and the observation deck offer good views of operations. Because the type will disappear from the Austrian fleet by the end of 2028, the rule here is: better sooner than later. Background on the location is provided by the profile of Vienna Airport.

Warsaw

At Warsaw Chopin Airport you see the LOT fleet with the E175, E190 and E195 side by side – a good place to compare the size differences within the family directly before the A220 takes over.

Photo gear

• Plan for a bit more focal length. The E195 is the largest E-Jet, but still much smaller than an A320. Which focal length suits is shown in the guide Lens and focal length for plane spotting.
• Use the side view. Because fuselage length is the deciding feature against the E190, shots across the runway that show the whole aircraft in profile are worthwhile.
• Check the runway direction in use. With the knowledge from Understanding the runway direction in use at an airport you pick the right spot.
• Plan the light. How to calculate the sun position in advance is covered in the guide to the sun position.

Variants and spin-offs

There were E195 versions with different weights and ranges that cannot be told apart on the outside. For you as a spotter that does not matter – the exact version is listed in databases under the respective registration.

More interesting is what did not come: Embraer set up a freighter conversion program for retired E-Jets. According to reports from summer 2026, the manufacturer is concentrating on the E190 and has abandoned the E195 freighter conversion because too few aircraft are becoming available from passenger service. An E195 freighter is therefore not one of the subjects you need to wait for.

Common mix-ups

Mix-up	How to tell them apart
E190	about 2.4 m shorter, same wing; looks more balanced; tracking code E190
E195-E2	long wings without winglets, larger engines, taller landing gear; tracking code E295
E175	about 7 m shorter, smaller wing, only one emergency exit over the wing per side
Airbus A220-300	wider fuselage with five seats per row, big geared turbofans, distinctively shaped cockpit windows

If you are unsure, the proven sequence helps: first the wingtips (generation), then fuselage length relative to wingspan (model), and finally registration and type code to confirm. You will find more identification tricks in the article Identifying aircraft types for beginners.

Conclusion

The Embraer E195 is the stretched top of the first E-Jet generation: the same wing as the E190, but a much longer fuselage and room for about 120 passengers. In Europe it shapes regional traffic mainly in the Lufthansa Group. Right now is the time to look at the type, because Austrian is giving up its fleet by 2028 and LOT is switching to the A220 from 2027 – only Air Dolomiti is still expanding its E195 fleet.