As we announced on 6 December 2015, Austrian Airlines sells Fokker aircraft fleet and replaces them with Embraer 195 aircraft. This change is related to the fleet modernization and rejuvenation plan.
The first 195 Austrian Airlines Embraer
The new Embraer aircraft will operate short and medium flights to destinations in Central and Eastern Europe, such as: Belgrade, Warsaw and Tirana, but also to Hamburg, Thessaloniki and many more.
First Embraer 195 Austrian Airlines (OE-LWD), which was christened "Central Europe", took off on January 4, 2016. It operated flight OS177, on the route Vienna 07: 46-08: 46 Stuttgart. It is the first of 17 Embraer aircraft scheduled to enter the Austrian Airlines fleet by the end of 2017. Embraer aircraft are configured to carry 120 passengers, in a 2-2 with more space configuration. The average age is 4 years, and the planes come from Lufthansa CityLine.
Changing the type of aircraft also requires trained personnel. 200 pilots and 600 flight attendants are trained for this type of aircraft, the personnel needed for the 17 Embraer 195 aircraft. In addition, over 80 of technicians from Austrian Technik must complete a special course and obtain the technical qualifications and official certification to carry out maintenance and repair work on Embraer aircraft. It is not excluded that these aircraft will also fly to destinations in Romania.