Embraer has entered into a five-year service contract with Arkia Israeli Airlines to provide replacement parts for its Embraer 195 jet.

The flight hour pool programme will reduce Arkia’s initial investment cost for replacement parts and infrastructure by providing optimised inventory control.

Through the support programme, the airlines will pay a set amount, based on the number of flight hours the aircraft has enrolled in the programme, while Embraer will assume responsibility for maintaining a parts inventory for the aircraft at its distribution and service centres.

Arkia Israeli Airlines executive vice president Nir Dagan said the airlines can now rely on a top-level maintenance package that will enable it to efficiently and intensively operate the aircraft and minimise costs.

Arkia took delivery of the first Embraer 195 in December 2008.