Bridges Air Cargo has taken delivery of its first Embraer E190 converted freighter after it was announced as the first operator of the converted aircraft in June.
The Maltese cargo carrier said it had begun “onboarding” the aircraft, owned by US lessor Regional One, in a LinkedIn post on 22 August.
“We are thrilled to announce that we are onboarding our first Embraer ERJ-190 converted freighter – a first of its kind in the aviation world!
“This marks an exciting milestone in our journey as a growing cargo airline. The ERJ-190F will strengthen our ability to serve our customers with greater efficiency, flexibility, and reliability.”
The airline added that it expected to receive its second E190F soon.
Bridges Air Cargo offers logistics solutions for the express and courier industry. Its customers include FedEx, DHL and UPS.
Earlier this year, Embraer confirmed its E190 converted freighter has been fully certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after the agency published the type certificate document late last year.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil have also certified the freighter.
Embraer launched its E-Jet freighter programme to convert E190 and E195 passenger aircraft to freighters in March 2022.
The Brazilian aerospace manufacturer said the E-Jet will offer 40% more volume capacity and three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs than larger narrowbodies.
Combining cargo capacity under the floor and on the main deck, the E190F’s maximum structural payload is 13,500 kg. The larger E195F will have a payload of 14,300 kg.
