In late 2023, Luxair, the national airline of Luxembourg, placed an order for a new type of aircraft for the airline. There’s now an update, as the airline has just taken delivery of the first of these planes, so we have a full sense of what to expect onboard.
Luxair adds Embraer E195-E2 jet to fleet
Luxair has a firm order for six Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. The first plane, with the registration code LX-LEA, has just been delivered, and all six planes are expected to be delivered by 2027. In addition to the six firm orders, the airline has three purchase rights for the aircraft, and also has conversion rights for the E190-E2, as needed.
For those not familiar with the Embraer E195-E2, this is the latest generation jet of the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer’s lineup. The E195-E2 is the largest, longest range, and most fuel efficient Embraer E-jet. The plane has the range to fly up to 2,600 nautical miles, and it’s also great from a passenger experience standpoint, given the 2-2 layout, meaning there are no middle seats onboard.
Luxair is configuring its E195-E2s with 136 seats, so they’re spread across 34 rows. As you’d expect for an intra-Europe aircraft, the cabins are pretty no frills, though do have personal device holders.
Here’s how Gilles Feith, Luxair’s CEO, describes this addition to the fleet:
“The arrival of our first E195-E2 will mark a milestone for Luxair and for Luxembourg. It combines sustainability, efficiency and greater comfort for our passengers, while also introducing our refreshed brand identity – a strong statement about our ambitions for the future.”
Luxair’s fleet otherwise consists of just over 20 aircraft, including 10 Boeing 737s (four 737-700s, four 737-800s, and two 737 MAX 8s), plus 11 De Havilland Dash 8-400s. In addition to its current fleet, the airline also has 10 additional 737 MAXs on order (four 737 MAX 7s, four 737 MAX 8s, and two 737 MAX 10s).
In the future, we can expect that Luxair’s jet fleet will consist of 12 Boeing 737 MAXs, and at least six Embraer E195-E2s. The big question is what the long term plan is for the carrier’s turboprop fleet — will the airline keep those around or retire them, as there aren’t many modern turboprops to replace them with?
Luxair is a fascinating little airline
It might sound random, but Luxair is an airline that has long interested me. That’s probably at least partly because Luxembourg is one of the few countries in Europe that I haven’t yet visited, so I’m hoping to make it there eventually.
Luxair is majority owned by the government of Luxembourg. Lufthansa used to be a minority shareholder in the airline, but sold its stake in 2015. So despite Lufthansa no longer having an ownership stake in the airline, Luxair still uses Miles & More as its frequent flyer program.
Unfortunately Luxair doesn’t belong to Star Alliance, so opportunities to earn and redeem miles on the airline are fairly limited. The airline serves dozens of destinations across Europe, as well as select destinations in North Africa and the Middle East seasonally.
From a premium passenger experience perspective, one interesting thing is how Luxair has a “proper” business class product on some of its jets. It’s my understanding that this product is available on a single Boeing 737 MAX 8 (with the registration code LX-LBL), and that it’s used primarily for the route to Dubai (DWC).
The passenger experience on this flight looks pretty awesome, as the airline even serves caviar in business class!
Bottom line
Luxair has a firm order for six Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which are the most efficient regional aircraft in service. The first of these planes has just joined the fleet, and all six should join the fleet by 2027. The planes are configured with 136 seats, and feature a generally comfortable cabin, given the 2-2 layout. Between this and the airline acquiring a total of 12 Boeing 737 MAXs, the carrier is very nicely modernizing its fleet.
What do you make of Luxair’s Embraer E195-E2 order?