Embraer E195-E2

A jet that looks like a regional aircraft at first glance and then just keeps going: the Embraer E195-E2 is the largest airliner Embraer has built to date. With a fuselage of a good 41.5 meters and a wingspan of over 35 meters, it plays in a league where small Airbus and Boeing models used to be at home. For you as a spotter it is an exciting subject, because it shows up regularly at many German airports while having several very similar relatives. Here you will learn how to recognize the E195-E2, how to tell it from the E195, E190-E2 and A220 and where in Europe you are most likely to catch it.

What is the Embraer E195-E2?

The E195-E2 belongs to the second generation of E-Jets, which Embraer launched at the Paris Air Show in June 2013. The family comprises three models: the small E175-E2, the mid-size E190-E2 and the large E195-E2. While the E190-E2 entered service first, the E195-E2 is today the most important model in the line and, at many airlines, the successor to the E190, E195 or older turboprops.

The prototype rolled out of the hangar on March 7, 2017, and the first flight followed on March 29, 2017. The aircraft received type certification on April 15, 2019. The first operator was Brazil’s Azul, which took delivery of its first aircraft on September 12, 2019, via the lessor AerCap, configured with 136 seats in one class. The European launch customer was Binter Canarias: the first Binter E195-E2 was handed over on November 21, 2019, and the first scheduled flight followed on December 13, 2019.

The E195-E2 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PW1900G engines, geared turbofans from the same family that is also used on the A220 and the A320neo. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire system with full flight envelope protection; this let Embraer make the horizontal stabilizer much smaller. In the cockpit, Honeywell avionics from the Primus Epic 2 series with large screens do the work.

Since 2024 Embraer has offered a version with a higher maximum takeoff weight of 62,500 kilograms that allows more range. That lets the E195-E2 easily cover typical European short- and medium-haul routes – from island hopping to connections across the continent.

What sets the E2 apart from the first generation

Embraer did not design the E2 as a small facelift. Compared with the first-generation E195, the wing, engines, landing gear, tail and systems are new. Only the fuselage cross-section with its 2+2 cabin has stayed – and with it the promise that nobody has to sit in the middle.

The most striking change is the wing. It is much longer and slimmer than on the first generation and gets by without classic winglets; the tips sweep back instead. On the E195-E2, Embraer increased the wingspan by another roughly 1.4 meters during development in 2016 to gain more lift. The result: a good 35 meters of wingspan against just under 29 meters on the E195.

So that the big geared turbofans have enough ground clearance, the E2 stands on taller landing gear. The main landing gear bays now have doors that close after retraction – a detail you can see well in close-ups at takeoff. In addition, the E195-E2 has two emergency exits over the wing on each side.

According to Embraer, the E195-E2 burns about a quarter less fuel per seat than the E195. More important for spotters is another side effect of the new engines: on takeoff or approach you can sometimes hear a deep, singing tone that many describe as “whale song”. It goes back to a resonance in the combustion chamber that Embraer classifies as normal, and it is a nice identifying feature if you shoot plane spotting videos.

The E-Jets compared by length

In the E-Jet family it is mainly length that decides the model. With the numbers in your head you reach the answer much faster.

Model	ICAO code	Length	Generation
E175	E75S / E75L	31.67 m	first generation
E190	E190	36.25 m	first generation
E195	E195	38.66 m	first generation
E190-E2	E290	about 36.2 m	second generation
E195-E2	E295	41.51 m	second generation, first flight March 29, 2017

So the E195-E2 is almost three meters longer than the E195 and a good five meters longer than the E190-E2. The gap to the E190-E2 in particular is easy to see in the field, because the two otherwise have practically the same wings and engines: side by side, the E195-E2 looks like a stretched version of its smaller sister.

How to recognize the E195-E2 in the field

Identifying the E195-E2 reliably is not hard at all with a bit of practice. It is best to work through it in this order:

Common mix-ups

Besides its own siblings, there is one candidate that comes surprisingly close to the E195-E2: the Airbus A220-300. Both are modern jets with geared turbofans and similar capacity. The A220, however, has a fatter fuselage with five seats per row, a rounder, slightly lower-set nose and large, almost square cabin windows. The E195-E2, in turn, is longer and slimmer – at 41.51 meters it even exceeds the A220-300.

Mix-up	How to tell them apart
E195	classic winglets, shorter wings, slimmer engines, about 2.9 m shorter; code E195
E190-E2	same wings and engines, but a fuselage a good 5 m shorter; code E290
Airbus A220-300	fatter fuselage with 3+2 seats, different nose shape, somewhat shorter; code BCS3
Airbus A320neo	much wider fuselage with 3+3 seats, sharklets at the wingtips

You can find a general guide to identifying types step by step in Identifying aircraft types for beginners.

Who flies the E195-E2 in Europe?

In Europe the E195-E2 has grown from a niche model into a sought-after fleet building block. The following operators are the most interesting for you as a spotter (as of October 2026; fleets keep changing):

• KLM Cityhopper is the most important operator in your area. The first E195-E2 arrived in Amsterdam on February 23, 2021; according to fleet overviews, about 25 aircraft are now in service and more are on order. The cabin has 132 seats, split between Business, Premium Economy and Economy. KLM Cityhopper connects Amsterdam with several German airports, so you can also meet the E195-E2 here. You can read more about the parent group at Air France-KLM.
• Binter Canarias was the European launch customer and, according to fleet overviews, has about 16 E195-E2s in service. They fly in the network out of the Canary Islands, which also includes Madeira, the Azores and mainland Spain.
• Helvetic Airways from Zurich operates the E190-E2 and a small, growing E195-E2 fleet. Parts of the Helvetic fleet fly on a wet lease for Swiss; how the model works is explained in the article Wet lease explained.
• Luxair has placed a firm order for six E195-E2s and took delivery of the first aircraft at the end of November 2025. According to fleet overviews, several of them now fly, complementing the Dash 8 fleet.
• LOT Polish Airlines and TUI fly Belgium each have a few E195-E2s, according to fleet overviews.

On top of that come large orders: SAS ordered 45 E195-E2s for SAS Link in 2025, and Finnair expects the first of 18 aircraft in autumn 2027. So the Scandinavian E2s are still a future prospect – until then, KLM Cityhopper remains your best chance.

Outside Europe, Canada’s Porter Airlines and Brazil’s Azul are among the largest operators, and in the USA Avelo Airlines has placed a larger order. A curiosity: since EASA approval for London City in November 2023, the E195-E2 has been the largest aircraft allowed to land at London City Airport.

Where you spot the E195-E2

The most reliable address is Amsterdam. At Schiphol Airport, KLM Cityhopper’s E2s are on the move all day. Depending on the runway direction in use, a visit to the spotter place at the Polderbaan is worthwhile, where you get the aircraft very close in front of your lens on landings.

In Germany, airports with an Amsterdam connection are good choices, for example the observation deck at Hamburg Airport or the observation deck at Düsseldorf Airport. Which rotations are flown with the E195-E2 and which with the E175 or E190 changes, though – check that in the tracker on spotting day. How to follow aircraft via ADS-B is covered in the guide to flight tracking with ADS-B.

In Switzerland, Zurich Airport is Helvetic’s home. From Observation Deck B you see the apron, and from Butzenbüel the landings from close range. If you are after sun anyway, you will find Binter’s E2s in the Canary Islands – for example around the spot Playa Honda on Lanzarote, although a large part of Binter’s traffic there also runs with turboprops.

Spotting tips for the E195-E2

• Choose the right focal length. The E195-E2 is longer than an A220 but much narrower than an A320. On approach it usually fits the frame with a similar focal length as a small Airbus. Which lenses are worth it, you can read in the article Lens and focal length for plane spotting.
• Get the wings in the frame. The long, winglet-free wings are the strongest feature. Shots from the front quarter or in a flyover show them best.
• Use side light. The long, slim fuselage in the KLM Cityhopper livery looks best in side light. You find the right time with the sun position guide.
• Take the sound with you. If you film, a good external microphone is worthwhile – you will not hear the typical E2 sound on approach on every landing, but when you do, it is unmistakable.

Conclusion

The Embraer E195-E2 has made the leap from regional jet to full-fledged short- and medium-haul aircraft: up to 146 seats, no middle seats, fuel-efficient geared turbofans and wings you recognize from afar. In Germany you meet it mainly on KLM Cityhopper’s Amsterdam connections; with the SAS and Finnair orders, it will become much more common in Northern Europe. Anyone who wants to collect the whole E-Jet family cannot get around it – and with knowledge of wingtips and fuselage length, it is quickly identified.