Oman Air is to buy five Embraer 175 aircraft from Embraer, with purchase rights for another five.

The Embraer 175, powered by General Electric’s CF34-8E engine, is an E-jet-family aircraft, with a range of 2,000nm.

The aircraft will be configured with 72 seats in a full-service, dual-class layout for Oman Air.

Four out of the five jets will be operated by the airline and one will serve with the Royal Omani Police.

Oman Air chairman Ahmed Macki said that they were convinced that the E-jets would be the ideal platform for increasing frequencies and developing new routes, as well as catering to their expanding domestic market.

The contract is valued at $177.5m without exercising the purchase rights and the order is due for delivery in the first quarter of 2011.