Mozambique's LAM acquires two Embraer E190 jets

Mozambique’s national airline, LAM, announced the acquisition of two Embraer E190 aircraft for €21 million (US$24.7 million) on December 15.

The jets, which arrived on December 13, represent a significant investment for the airline as it seeks to expand its fleet with owned aircraft rather than leased ones.

The purchase is significant for LAM amidst its ongoing restructuring efforts. The airline has been grappling with operational and financial challenges, and the acquisition is seen as a pivotal move to enhance its capabilities and service offerings.

Historically, state-owned LAM has relied heavily on leased aircraft to maintain its operations but, as highlighted by Agostinho Langa, chairman of the Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique, “Not rented planes, they are LAM’s own planes.”

The Embraer E190s, which can carry 100 passengers each and will complement LAM’s existing fleet. that includes a recently acquired Airbus A319, with 144 seats, in addition to a Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft.

The two E190s previously flew with KLM Cityhopper as PH-EZA and PH-EZA and have a combined total of over 17 years of service.

Embraer offered the E2 to LAM

In November, during the Mozambique-Brazil Business Forum held in Maputo, representatives from Embraer advocated the use of aircraft with up to 150 seats as a solution for efficiency gains in regional aviation.

“Our aircraft have a capacity of 146 seats. We are world leaders in this category of up to 150 seats,” said João Taborda, vice president of Embraer, referring to the E195-E2 jet, the largest produced by the company. He emphasized that larger aircraft often operate with low occupancy, increasing costs for airlines.

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