27 September 08

VIRGIN NIGERIA TAKES DELIVERY OF ITS EMBRAER 190 JET
… pioneers individual In-Flight Entertainment system on domestic routes

Lagos Nigeria, 27th September 2008: Embraer has delivered the first EMBRAER 190 jet to Virgin Nigeria, the nation’s private sector flag carrier. Sporting all leather elite seats, comfortably seating 94 passengers in a dual-class configuration, the aircraft also features a state-of-the-art In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system, with individual TV screens in front of every seat.

“Our commitment is to give customers more value for their money. We are proud to be the first carrier to introduce this technologically advanced aircraft in the African Sub-Saharan region,” said Conrad Clifford, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Nigeria. “We believe the Embraer E-Jets will give us the edge over the competition, enabling us to offer our clients superior standards and, with the different sizes and high commonality, to match seat capacity and frequency to passenger demand network-wide, without compromising operational efficiency.”

“It’s both an honor to welcome a new EMBRAER 190 operator in Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Mauro Kern, Embraer Executive Vice President, Airline Market. “We are happy to support Virgin Nigeria, one of the youngest and most energetic carriers in Africa, with the superior contribution of the E-Jets, as it unfolds its expansion plans into the Western and Central Areas of the continent”.

Virgin Nigeria’s EMBRAER 190 is equipped with the new-generation i4500 satellite-based In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system supplied by Thales Avionics (USA). As the aircraft enters service, passengers flying short-haul routes will have the opportunity to watch movies, as well as Nigerian and foreign programs, or select from a wide range of music channels.

It will be recalled that Virgin Nigeria in November 2007 at the Dubai Air Show, announced firm orders for seven EMBRAER 170s and three EMBRAER 190s, all of which are Advanced Range versions, plus options for six EMBRAER 190s and purchase rights for another eight E-Jets, all worth over US$811m.



About Virgin Nigeria

Virgin Nigeria is Nigeria’s private sector flag carrier wholly owned by institutional investors. The airline was formed in September 2004, when the Nigerian Government announced the selection of Virgin Atlantic Airways as the strategic investor and technical partner in the set up of the airline project.

From its home base in Murtala Mohammed International Airport, in Lagos, Virgin Nigeria has set about developing a global network of domestic, regional and international routes. The airline is currently operating within Nigeria, West and Central Africa, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The airline has interline agreements with leading international carriers towards achieving its vision to serve the Nigerian and West African markets.


About the EMBRAER 170/190 Family of E-Jets

&The EMBRAER 170/190 family of E-Jets consists of four commercial jets with 70 to 122 seats, featuring advanced engineering design, efficient performance, outstanding operating economics, low emissions levels and a spacious cabin.

The E-Jets can fly at a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.82 and at 41,000 feet (12,497 meters), with ranges of up to 2,400 nautical miles (4,448 km). The high degree of commonality among the four aircraft results in exceptional reductions for carriers, in terms of crew training, spare parts and maintenance costs. Another key feature of the E-Jets is the fly-by-wire technology used in the flight control systems, similar to that deployed on larger commercial jets and advanced military aircraft.

The EMBRAER 170/190 family provides superior comfort with its double-bubble fuselage design that includes two main passenger entrances and two service doors that minimize aircraft turn-around time. The E-Jets offer much more space for passengers, in a single or dual-class layout, than other aircraft with similar seating capacities.

On June 30, 2008, the EMBRAER 170/190 family of E-Jets had logged 847 firm orders and 827 options, totaling 1,674 aircraft. Today, more than 400 E-Jets have been delivered to over 50 customers in 30 countries, worldwide, surpassing 1.5 million flight hours.

Note to Editors

Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A. - NYSE: ERJ; Bovespa: EMBR3) is the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial jets up to 120 seats, and one of Brazil's leading exporters. Embraer's headquarters are located in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, and it has offices, industrial operations and customer service facilities in Brazil, the United States, France, Portugal, China and Singapore. Founded in 1969, the Company designs, develops, manufactures and sells aircraft for the Commercial Aviation, Executive Aviation, and Defense and Government segments. The Company also provides after sales support and services to customers worldwide. On June 30, 2008, Embraer had a workforce of 23,855 employees and a firm order backlog of US$ 20.7 billion

Visit the Embraer Image Gallery at www.embraer.com