KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — If comfort is a top priority when you board a flight, there’s an airline that will soon offer an aircraft with less cabin noise and vibration.
Homegrown airline SKS Airways yesterday unveiled its newly-leased Embraer’s E195-E2 aircraft that is slated to begin service in early 2024.
The airline has already leased 10 Embraer aircraft from its Brazilian manufacturer to offer convenience and comfort to passengers travelling domestically and within the region.
Additionally, the airline also operates from the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang for more convenience due to its strategic urban location.
SKS Airways chief executive officer Dzuleira Abu Bakar expressed her excitement over the airline’s expansion plans with the cutting-edge E195-E2 aircraft.
“With spacious seating, ample legroom and a superbly quiet cabin, passengers can anticipate a remarkable level of comfort when choosing to fly with SKS Airways’ Embraer E195-E2s.
“From its cutting-edge technology to its exceptional comfort and efficiency, we believe that this aircraft will revolutionise the way people travel.”
Offering a first-hand experience of the aircraft, SKS Airways together with Embraer took members of the media on an hour demo flight from Subang Airport yesterday.
Aesthetically, the aircraft comes in a compact yet well-crafted shape with long wings that are designed to increase stability and reduce cabin vibration mid-air.
Inside, the plane is fitted with two rows of double seats that come with ample legroom.
Another eye-catching feature of the cabin was its larger-than-usual windows, which were designed to allow more light into the cabin.
The aircraft’s most noticeable features were the reduced cabin noise and vibration mid-air.
The planes for SKS Airways are currently being customised and will be equipped with numerous passenger-friendly features, spacious cabins and premium seating options.
They will be configured in a two-class layout both offering 33-inch and 29.5-inch seat pitch, except for the emergency exit row with a 39-inch seat pitch.
The airline is set to commence commercial flights starting March 2024.
It currently offers return flights from Subang to Tioman and Redang islands.
Why compact aircrafts can be useful in Malaysia?
For the uninitiated, Embraer has been manufacturing aircrafts since 1969 and has delivered over 8,000 planes worldwide.
The manufacturer is known for its compact commercial jets of up to 150 seats that are tailored to cover routes less travelled.
Embraer sales vice president (Asia Pacific) Victor Vieira Dos Santos said the aircraft is a game-changer in Malaysia as it can fill the gap between turboprop and large-body aircraft in the market.
“This can help airlines to open new routes that cannot be operated efficiently by large aircraft.
“We can see there are no direct flights between certain cities in Malaysia because the airlines’ aircraft are too big to fill the seats.”
Santos said the aircraft has low fuel and noise emissions to ensure it is environmentally friendly.
“Thanks to its low noise emissions, E195-E2 makes a perfect flight suitable for city airports with communities living within the proximity.”
The E195-E2 is designed to be compatible with sustainable aviation fuel, therefore, it mitigates carbon emissions.
Moving forward, Santos said they are on track to lower emissions, reduce noise and less fuel consumption in their long-term plans.
He said they are also looking into introducing hybrid, electric, hydrogen and gas turbine engines in the future as part of their effort to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent from 2030.
