Air Astana is the world’s second operator of the Embraer E190-E2

This is the first of five Embraer Е190-E2s that will replace Air Astana‘s existing fleet of regional jets with lease agreements scheduled to expire next year (Air Astana)

Kazakhstan’s national carrier Air Astana has become the world’s second operator of Embraer’s re-engined E-Jet E2 family after taking delivery of an Embraer 190-E2.

The new aircraft (the tail number P4-KHA) arrived at Air Astana’s base at Astana International Airport on Monday.

Sporting a distinctive snow leopard livery, the aircraft is the first of five Embraer Е190-E2s, which will replace those regional jets in the carrier’s fleet with lease agreements that are scheduled to expire next year.

“With the untypical snow leopard livery, the airline is striving to bring global attention to what is an endangered species, [whilst] raising awareness of environmental issues,” the carrier explains in a corporate statement.

The E-Jet E2 was selected because of the model’s economic efficiencies, reveals Peter Foster, president of Air Astana. He has not ruled out ordering further models in the future, Russian Aviation Insider learns.

Meanwhile, Norwegian Wideroe Airlines, the launch operator for the E-Jet E2, now has three models within its fleet. The re-engined E-Jet E2 family also has a larger version, the E-195 E2, which is scheduled to enter service next year, and the smallest version, the E-175 E2, which will be delivered in 2021.

Within the CIS region, a number of other carriers may become Embraer E-Jet E2 operators, Russian Aviation Insider learns. They include Belarusian Belavia, Tajik Somon Air and Georgian Airways.

The new Embraer E190-E2 (the tail number P4-KHA) arrived at Air Astana’s base at Astana International Airport on December 3rd (Air Astana)