US-based regional airline CommutAir has secured approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to add the ERJ 145XR Jet to its operating certificate.

Operating as United Express, the airline will take delivery of 40 jets over the next two years.

Manufactured by Brazilian aerospace company Embraer, CommutAir’s first ERJ145 is expected to enter commercial service at the beginning of next month, with the aim of adding two to three new aircraft every month.

"The addition of the ERJ145 Jet to our operating certificate is a significant achievement in the history of our company."

CommutAir president and CEO Subodh Karnik said: "The addition of the ERJ145 Jet to our operating certificate is a significant achievement in the history of our company and is the foundation of our growth plans to triple the size of our operations over the next two years."

The ERJ145 family is a series of twin-engine regional jets, which include the ERJ 135, ERJ 140 and ERJ145, as well as the Legacy business jet and others.

The ERJ145 is the largest of the regional jets group and powered by two turbofan engines.

CommutAir operations vice-president and director Justin Conrad said: "Our initial pilot cadre is ready to help train new recruits; our maintenance team and materials programs are in place; and our flight attendants and dispatchers are also jet qualified on the new aircraft. The team is ready for an immediate deployment and rapid spool up."

Established in the 1980s, CommutAir currently operates a fleet of Bombardier Q200/Q300 aircraft with more than 650 weekly flights to 29 airports.

The airline employs more than 600 people.