Air France has announced plans to refurbish its fleet of around 20 Embraer 190 aircraft, with new seating and refreshed interiors.
The aircraft are used by the carrier’s regional operations, which previously flew under the HOP! brand until 2019 when the decision was taken to bring the subsidiary back within Air France.
The planes currently fly in Air France livery with “Hop” in smaller letters underneath.
The aircraft will be fitted with new carbon fibre and titanium seating by French manufacturer Expliseat, and interiors “will also be given a makeover in Air France colours, from the walls of the aircraft to the carpet on the floor”.
The work will begin this summer, with the first refurbished Embraer 190 set to enter service in the autumn.
Air France said that the upgrade would bring the aircraft in line with the seating on its A220 fleet. The carrier took delivery of its first A220-300 in 2021, and currently has around 30 of the aircraft in service.
It’s not clear whether Air France’s fleet of 13 Embraer 170 aircraft will also be fitted with the new seating – Business Traveller has asked for clarification and will post any response here.
