Overview
- The new E190, registered VH‑E9A, landed in Perth on Monday, September 7 after a roughly 20‑hour delivery flight from Norwich with stops in Bulgaria, Tajikistan, India, Malaysia and Broome.
- QantasLink plans to acquire up to 14 mid‑life E190s to progressively replace Network Aviation’s aging Fokker 100s while keeping roughly 100‑seat capacity for regional and resources charter work.
- Each incoming E190 will receive a cabin refresh with onboard Wi‑Fi, new seats with USB‑A and USB‑C charging, personal device holders and a Qantas Economy Plus option before carrying passengers.
- About 70 pilots, cabin crew and engineers are set to receive roughly 18,000 hours of E190 training this year with training capacity expected to expand to more than 600 people as the programme grows.
- Network Aviation says the E190 offers better fuel efficiency, lower noise and greater range than the F100, which could boost reliability, open new route options across Western Australia and support jobs tied to the resources sector.