Japan Airlines leans toward Embraer over Airbus for 20 jets

Japan Airlines is leaning toward selecting Embraer's E2 series over the Airbus A220 for an order of approximately 20 regional jets, according to people familiar with the matter, with a decision expected as soon as October. No final order has been placed and the outcome could still change; Embraer and Airbus both declined to comment.

The timing of the report is notable: JAL renewed its multi-year maintenance and spare-parts support agreement with Embraer for its existing 32 E-Jet aircraft on 21 September, covering 18 E170s and 14 E190s operated by regional subsidiary J-Air under Embraer's Pool Programme. The support renewal does not commit JAL to ordering new E2 aircraft but signals a continuing operational relationship at the moment the carrier is finalising its fleet selection.

A JAL selection of the E2 would follow a significant shift in the competitive landscape for both manufacturers: Embraer has secured E2 orders from All Nippon Airways, Finnair and Scandinavian Airlines in the past year, with ANA's February 2025 order for 20 E190-E2s bringing Embraer into the Japanese market for the first time in a new-type commitment. Airbus has sold the A220 to more than 25 operators globally but has yet to place the type with a Japanese carrier; a JAL decision in favour of the E2 would leave the A220 programme without a foothold in one of Asia's most significant aviation markets.

The context for the decision also includes the collapse of the Mitsubishi SpaceJet programme: JAL was the intended domestic launch customer for the aircraft, which consumed years of development and billions of dollars in investment before Mitsubishi withdrew the programme in 2023. The JAL regional fleet review is partly a consequence of that failure; Bloomberg reported in November 2025 that JAL was considering as many as 40 regional jets and 30 turboprop aircraft in total, and the 20-jet order now reported would represent the first stage of that broader renewal.