The time had come on August 15, 2021 at 17:07 p.m. The fourth Embraer 195-E2 from Helvetic Airways, HB-AZL, hit the floor of runway 14 at Zurich Airport Kloten. Helvetic has thus taken over the twelfth and last machine in the E2 series from Embraer.

At the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2018, the Swiss regional airline Helvetic Airways signed a “Letter of Intent” (LOI) for twelve Embraer 190-E2s. This was intended to replace the fleet of five Fokker 100s and seven Embraer 190-100s at the time. At that time, the right was secured to change the order for the larger Embraer 195-E2. In addition, twelve options were drawn for both patterns.

Helvetic received the first new Embraer 190-E2, HB-AZA, almost a year later on October 28, 2019. In the middle of the Covid crisis in summer 2020, the order for the last four machines was changed to the larger E195-E2, of which the first (HB-AZI) joined the fleet on June 24, 2021.

With the fourth and last E195-E2, Helvetic took over all twelve machines within just 22 months. All aircraft are owned by Helvetic Aircraft AG, a Patinex AG leasing company owned by Martin and Rosmarie Ebner belonging to the Helvetic Airways Group.

With the takeover of the last machine manufactured in Sao Jose dos Campos, the technical team around the former Helvetic CEO, Bruno Jans, will also return to Switzerland.

In addition to the eight E190-E2 and four E195-E2, Helvetic Airways also has four leased first-generation E190-100s. These are owned by Airfleet Credit Corporation and are expected to be part of the Helvetic fleet until around 2025. It is not yet known whether and when the options will be converted into orders.

A large part of the E190 is operated for the customer Swiss International Air Lines, while the larger E195s have so far only been used on their own flights. According to the Helvetic owner Martin Ebner, they want to become THE wet lease provider in Europe.