Azul gears up for cargo growth with E195 adaption

Brazilian carrier Azul is gearing up for growth in e-commerce by adapting four of its Embraer E195 aircraft to a dedicated cargo configuration.

The airline said that it received certification for the world’s first Embraer E195 (PR-AYO) adapted dedicated cargo aircraft on September 24 and added that another three aircraft are expected to be adapted by the end of 2020.

Azul said that the it was not a full conversion. Instead most of the seats had been removed to create extra space for cargo with some preserved in strategic locations, such as doors and emergency exits.

Pallets will not be loaded into the hold, instead cargo will be secured in place using nets.

The first flight took place on September 26 between Campinas and Teresina

Two of the four planes have already been dedicated to an e-commerce provider for a period of at least six months.

The four jets will join the company’s two dedicated Boeing 737-400 freighters, for a total of six aircraft dedicated for Azul Cargo Express. The cargo business also has access to five ATR 72-600 Quick Change aircraft.

Azul chief executive John Rodgerson said: “We are excited to continue diversifying our business model with the adaptation of these four Embraer aircraft. The size, range, and performance of the E195, gives it the perfectcombination of payload capacity, volume capacity and low trip-cost economics allowing fast and efficient logistics access all around Brazil.

“We are seeing record demand for the services provided by Azul Cargo Express and are pleased to innovate to further meet the needs of our customers. With the combination of our dedicated aircraft, belly capacity on the largest domestic network in Brazil, and our extensive ground partnerships, we are ready to meet the growing need of all our logistics and especially all our e-commerce customers. Our logistics solutions have the potential to transform e-commerce in Brazil.”