History30 years ago, the ERJ 145’s first flight launched Embraer into the regional jet market
On Monday, Embraer marked the 30th anniversary of the first flight of the ERJ 145, a milestone that reshaped regional air travel and cemented the Brazilian manufacturer’s presence in the global commercial aircraft market.
The inaugural flight, conducted in 1995 from Embraer’s facility in São José dos Campos, Brazil, was the result of years of evaluating different design concepts before finalizing a configuration with rear-mounted engines.
Embraer launched a proposal for a regional jet aircraft in the late 1990s, while still state-owned. The first configuration featured overwing engines and resembled a stretched version of the EMB 120 Brasilia turboprop.
The configuration didn’t work well, and the company’s engineers opted for underwing engines. However, this also created a problem: the landing gear would have to be very high to accommodate the turbofans.
In the end, the classic T-tail solution with engines at the end of the fuselage proved to be the right choice.
The aircraft was designed to serve high-frequency routes with 37 to 50 seats, bringing nonstop jet service to markets that previously lacked such capability for short- and medium-haul operations.
Launch customer ExpressJet Airlines received the first production unit in 1996 and eventually built up a fleet of 250 aircraft, flying them for Continental Express.
More than 1,200 ERJ aircraft
In the commercial segment, alongside the baseline 50-seat version, Embraer developed the ERJ 135 with 37 seats and the ERJ 140 with 44 seats, tailored for lower-demand markets.
In business aviation, the platform evolved into the Legacy 600 and Legacy 650 jets, featuring premium interiors and extended range.
The design also served as the basis for military and special mission aircraft, including the EMB 145 AEW&C airborne early warning platform, the EMB 145 RS/AGS for remote sensing, and the EMB 145 MP for maritime patrol and intelligence missions. These derivatives showcased the platform’s versatility and extended its reach well beyond regional passenger transport.
Over the past three decades, more than 1,200 ERJ family aircraft have been built, spanning commercial, corporate, and military versions. About 40% remain in service with around 60 airlines worldwide.
The ERJ 145 program laid the groundwork for the development of Embraer’s E-Jet family, now a benchmark among smaller single-aisle jets. According to Embraer, the aircraft embodied the company’s core values of resilience, partnership, boldness, and innovation — principles that continue to guide its projects and maintain its leadership in regional aviation.
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Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
