The Embraer E-Jet family is a series of four-abreast narrow-body short- to medium-range twin-engine jet airliners designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. The E-Jet was designed as a complement to the preceding ERJ family, Embraer's first jet-powered regional jet; designed to carry between 66 and 124 passengers, it was larger than any prior aircraft built by the company. The project's existence was revealed in early 1997, and was formally introduced at the Paris Air Show two years later. On 19 February 2002, the first prototype E-Jet conducted its maiden flight; later that year, quantity production of the type commenced. In early March 2004, the first E170 deliveries were made to LOT Polish Airlines. The E-Jet series has been a commercial success primarily due to its ability to efficiently serve lower-demand routes while offering many of the same amenities and features of larger jets. Initial teething issues, including hydraulic and engine-specific ones, were quickly overcome, and Embraer rapidly expanded its product support division for better global coverage. The E-Jet family is commonly used by both mainline and regional airlines around the world and has become particularly popular with regional airlines in the United States. It has also served as the basis for the Embraer Lineage 1000 business jet. During the 2010s, Embraer developed a second generation of regional jets, the E-Jet E2 family, derived from the original E-Jet family. However, , the E175 remains in production, to fulfill demand from regional airlines in the United States. Development Background During the 1990s, the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer had introduced the ERJ family, its first jet-powered regional jet. As demand for the ERJ series proved strong even early on, the company decided that it could not rely on one family of aircraft alone and examined its options for producing a complementary regional jet, including designs that would be larger and more advanced than its preceding aircraft. During March 1997, Embraer made its first public disclosure that it was studying a new 70-seat aircraft, which was initially referred to as the EMB 170; this reveal was issued concurrently with the announcement of the development of the ERJ 135. As originally conceived, the EMB 170 was to feature a new wing and larger-diameter fuselage mated to the nose and cockpit of the ERJ 145. The proposed derivative would have cost $450 million to develop. While Alenia, Aerospatiale and British Aerospace through AI(R)