Easter 2025. I’m visiting my uncle and aunt in Leland, North Carolina. It’s my first trip of two to the United States in 2025. I haven’t seen them live since February 2020 just before the first lockdown and I haven’t travelled to this area since 2019. I’m flying with SAS and Delta. The itinerary: Brussels in Belgium – Copenhagen in Denmark – Atlanta in Georgia – Wilmington in North Carolina. 

I chose to fly with SAS because the price was very right and the timetable as well. 

The first leg brought me from Brussels Airport in Zaventem to Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup.

SAS SK594
Brussels Airport to Copenhagen Airport
Scheduled: 10:20 AM to 11:50 AM.
Actual: 10:58 AM to 12:09 PM.
Equipment: Embraer E195LR (SE-RSU).

It’s always nice to fly something which is not an Airbus or a Boeing, who dominate the market. This service uses an Embraer E195LR.

Embraer

Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation that develops and manufactures aircraft and aviation systems, and provides leasing, equipment, and technical support services. It is the third-largest producer of civil aircraft in the world, following Boeing and Airbus. The company also plays a prominent role in military aviation, ranking among the top 100 defence contractors globally. Embraer is headquartered in São José dos Campos, São Paulo.

Established in 1969 by the Brazilian government to foster national aerospace capabilities, Embraer initially focused on producing military aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force. In the 1980s, it began developing commuter and regional airliners for the export market. The company was privatised in 1994.

Embraer operates across four aviation segments: commercial, executive, military, and agricultural. It also supports innovation through an incubator for aerospace technologies and ventures. Although it continues to manufacture defence aircraft, Embraer is best known for its ERJ and E-Jet series of narrow-body, short- to medium-range airliners, as well as its line of business jets, notably the best-selling Phenom 300. As of May 2024, the company has delivered over 8,000 aircraft, including 1,800 E-Jets.

E195

The Embraer 195 is a larger version of the Embraer 190, designed to carry more passengers over similar distances. It is powered by two General Electric engines mounted under the wings. These engines come in several versions with slightly different performance features, but all are managed by a smart computer system that helps the engines run more efficiently, using less fuel and requiring less maintenance. The plane can hold about 13,000 kilograms of fuel and uses a fuel system made by Parker Hannifin.

There are three main versions of the E195, based on how far they can fly and how much weight they can carry. The standard version is the base model. The Long Range (LR) version can carry more weight and fly farther, and the Advanced Range (AR) version goes even further, thanks to extra fuel capacity. These improvements increased the E195’s flying range by around 560 kilometres compared to the standard model.

The aircraft also includes an onboard power unit and electrical system made by Hamilton Sundstrand. The same type of engine is used across all versions of the E195, providing enough power to compete with similar planes like the Airbus A220-100, Boeing 717-200, and Airbus A318. It can carry up to 100 passengers in a two-class layout or as many as 124 in a single-class setup.

The E195 took its first flight on 7 December 2004. Flybe, a British low-cost airline, was the first to operate it, starting flights in September 2006 with an order for 14 aircraft. By 2020, however, Flybe had phased out the E195 in favour of smaller, more cost-effective planes like the Dash 8 Q400 and the Embraer 175.

Today, the E195 is used by several airlines around the world. The largest operators include Azul Brazilian Airlines, Tianjin Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti, and LOT Polish Airlines.

Flying on the E195 with SAS

There’s not much to tell about a short hop in Europe. The seats on this Embraer are surprisingly wide, with a 2-2 configuration. The legroom is also generous for its purpose. The seats look well padded, but mine at least was hard on the bum. 

During this flight we even received a cup of water, tea or coffee. You can buy other items on board.

In-flight entertainment is non-existant. 

This flight

This flight was delayed for 30 minutes, as we had to wait for some passengers. As I had not a very ample connection, that made me nervous. 

So?

Apart from the delay, the flight was uneventful, as it should be.