Regional fleets are often those providing passengers the last miles of a trip to smaller airports. They don’t need to be as fancy as the wide body aircraft as often flights are very short. KLM has initiated a cabin upgrade for its fleet of regional jets which will refresh and change its appearance.
In this post:
- KLM Cityhopper Begins Fleet-Wide Embraer E195-E2 Cabin Update
- Four Additional Economy Seats, Lower Emissions per Passenger
- Galley Optimization Enables Higher Capacity
- Reduced Catering Weight Cuts Fuel Burn
- Conversion Timeline Through June 2026
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KLM Cityhopper Begins Fleet-Wide Embraer E195-E2 Cabin Update
KLM’s Cityhopper operates a 63-aircraft regional fleet. The newest aircraft type in the KLM Cityhopper (the regional division) is the Embraer built E195-E2 jets. They are very modern and have been delivered to the carrier from 2021. They have been replacing the older first generation Embraer E jets present in the fleet.
Just a few years later KLM is upgrading its Embraer E195-E2 cabin interiors. The changes will make the aircraft less fuel thirsty and generate higher revenue. Here’s how.
Four Additional Economy Seats, Lower Emissions per Passenger
The most significant change is in the number of seats the KLM E195-E2’s are fitted with. The total number of seats on each of these planes will go up by 4. Increasing from 132 to 136.
The airline has done so by further optimizing the space on the aircraft. Specifically it has reduced the amount of space the galley takes up in the rear of the aircraft.
Galley Optimization Enables Higher Capacity
Onboard catering, food and beverage service, is fairly limited on short flights as those operated by the KLM Cityhopper fleet. Therefore, by going back to the drawing board KLM has found areas in which it could optimize the setup of the galley and the way catering is stored. The space gained is now occupied by 4 additional seats, or 1 row.
Reduced Catering Weight Cuts Fuel Burn
Having less catering or catering containers equates to less weight on the aircraft. Therefore, KLM predicts fuel savings that will be felt on the bottom line at the end of the year. KLM’s estimate predicts 160,000 kilograms of fuel saved per year and 5 million kilograms in catering weight not carried.
This all falls into the context of KLM trying to make marginal gains in reducing cost. Over the last couple of years the airline hasn’t been able to make significant profits. It efforts to turn that situation around are looking into all of the airline’s operations.
Conversion Timeline Through June 2026
The first updated aircraft have already re-entered service. The new 136-seat cabin will become over the coming months widespread and finally the only one on KLM Cityhopper flights.
The first aircraft returned to service on December 9th 2025, while the last is scheduled to undergo maintenance in June 2026.