Widerøe (WF, Bodø) has confirmed it will be the E190-E2 jet's launch operator with delivery of its maiden aircraft of the type scheduled for the first half of 2018.

The Norwegian regional operator has a contract with Embraer (EMB, São José dos Campos Professor Urbano Ernesto Stumpf) for up to fifteen E2 family jets consisting of three firm orders for the EMB190-E2 and purchase rights for twelve more E2 family aircraft.

Widerøe chief executive Stein Nilsen said in a prepared statement that the three firm order aircraft would not be deployed across its more operationally challenging STOL network but rather on regular flights from its Bergen and Oslo Torp hubs.

“We are very proud we will be the first airline in the world to operate the E190-E2," he said. "Knowing the hard-work Embraer is doing in the certification campaign, especially in terms of maturity, we have every confidence in a smooth entry into service. The E190-E2 will be a big leap in Widerøe’s history, and our planning for the first deliveries is now well underway.”

Wideroe is currently an all-Bombardier Aerospace turboprop operation employing nineteen Dash 8-100s, two Dash 8-200s, seven Dash 8-300s, and eleven Dash 8-400s.