BermudAir is set to enter the express air cargo market with an Embraer E190F freighter leased from Regional One, becoming the second operator of the E-Freighter worldwide and the first in the Americas, according to Embraer and Regional One.
The agreement marks a significant expansion for the Bermuda-based airline, which currently operates a fleet of two E175s and two E190s across a network serving 10 destinations in the Caribbean, the United States and Canada. The addition of the E190F will allow BermudAir to extend its existing regional network into dedicated express cargo operations.
New cargo capability for BermudAir
BermudAir plans to use the E190F to transport express cargo, e-commerce shipments, local-business consignments and other time-sensitive freight across the islands and markets connected to its network.
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Adam Scott, founder and chief executive of BermudAir, said cargo represented a natural extension of the airline’s existing operations.
“We’ve built a reliable, right-sized operation connecting Bermuda and the Caribbean to North America, and the E190F lets us put that same network to work moving express cargo, supporting local businesses, e-commerce and time-sensitive freight across the islands we serve,” Scott said.
The move gives BermudAir an opportunity to develop a dedicated cargo business without departing from the regional-market strategy that underpins its passenger network.
Second E190F operator worldwide
The BermudAir agreement represents the second commercial operator for Embraer’s E-Freighter programme.
Regional One has placed five firm orders for the E190F since the programme was launched, with two converted aircraft already delivered and operating. BermudAir’s aircraft will be the first E-Freighter deployed in the Americas.
George Mamangakis, chief investment officer at Regional One, said BermudAir’s entry represented an important step in expanding the E190F’s global operator base.
The agreement also demonstrates the potential for the E-Jets platform to support both passenger and cargo missions, particularly in regional markets where demand may not justify the capacity of larger narrowbody freighters.
E190F targets regional express cargo
The E190F is based on Embraer’s E-Jets platform and has been developed specifically for the growing express and regional air freight market.
Embraer says the aircraft can provide more than 100 cubic metres of cargo volume and up to 13.5 tonnes of payload, combining capacity from the lower and main decks. The manufacturer positions the aircraft between large cargo turboprops and larger narrowbody freighters.
The aircraft is designed for markets requiring frequent services, decentralised operations and direct access to secondary cities. Embraer says the E190F can offer up to 30% lower operating costs than classic narrowbody freighters, while providing greater volume and substantially more range than large cargo turboprops.
Embraer’s current E190F specifications list a maximum payload of 13.5 tonnes, cargo volume of up to 103 cubic metres and a fully loaded range of up to approximately 2,590 nautical miles, depending on configuration and operating assumptions.
Expanding the E190F market
The entry of BermudAir gives the E-Freighter programme its first operator in North America and the Caribbean, providing an early demonstration of the aircraft’s potential in island and regional markets.
Arjan Meijer, president and chief executive of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said BermudAir’s selection represented an important milestone as the E190F entered service in North America and the Caribbean.
He said the aircraft was designed to address a gap in the cargo market by combining payload, volume, range and operating efficiency suited to regional freight operations.
For BermudAir, the aircraft provides a new way to monetise its existing network while targeting cargo flows that require faster delivery than conventional surface transportation can provide.
Regional network creates cargo opportunity
BermudAir launched operations in 2023 and has since expanded its network across Bermuda, the Caribbean, the US East Coast and Canada. Its destinations include Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman and Belize, alongside year-round services to North American and Canadian gateways.
The airline’s regional footprint provides potential cargo opportunities in markets where shipment volumes may be too small for conventional narrowbody freighters but where regular express capacity can support e-commerce, urgent spare parts, healthcare products and other time-sensitive consignments.
The E190F’s relatively compact capacity and regional range are intended to enable high-frequency services between such markets, supporting the broader trend towards decentralised air cargo networks.
Another milestone for the passenger-to-freighter market
The BermudAir agreement also represents another step in the development of the E190 passenger-to-freighter conversion programme.
By converting existing E-Jets rather than relying solely on new-build freighters, the programme provides operators with an alternative for replacing older regional cargo aircraft and developing dedicated capacity on routes that do not require larger freighters.
With BermudAir becoming the first E190F operator in the Americas, the aircraft is set to gain its first commercial operating base in a region where island connectivity, express freight and distributed logistics networks could provide a natural application for the type.
