TAP Portugal has taken delivery of its first Embraer E190, which will be operated by regional subsidiary TAP Express. It wasplaced into service May 23 on the Lisbon-Nice route.

The new aircraft also operated service from Lisbon to Barcelona and Toulouse on its first day of operations with TAP Express. Following a recent change of ownership, TAP Portugal is rebranding its Portugalia (PGA) regional operation as TAP Express.

The entry into service of the 106-seat E190 aircraft is part of TAP’s regional fleet renewal strategy, which should soon include nine E190s and eight ATR 72s operating for TAP Express, the company said in a statement. The E190s will replace the entire Fokker 100 fleet, which has been in service since 1989.

“We at TAP are very pleased to launch the new E190 aircraft into operation as part of our thorough strategic plan to improve product and services in the whole, including the renewal of the company’s entire regional fleet.

The E190 will allow TAP to open new routes and expand to new markets, while ensuring more flexible and reliable operations with better efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” TAP CEO Fernando Pinto said.

The latest E-190 increases TAP’s fleet to 78 aircraft. In June, the company will take delivery of two additional Airbus A330s, increasing its fleet to 80 aircraft.