Paw-some paint job! Embraer E190-E2 airliner with an incredible snow leopard livery is unveiled

  • The snow leopard aircraft is the first of five ordered by Air Astana, with four due to be delivered in 2019 
  • The livery is intended to draw attention to the threat of extinction faced by this large wild cat 
  • It's not the first E190-E2 to be given an eye-catching makeover - there are shark and tiger paint jobs, too

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As aircraft liveries go, this one is a cut above the rest. By a whisker.

Air Astana, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has unveiled a new addition to its fleet – an Embraer 190-E2 with a snow leopard's snout painted on its fuselage nose.

The incredible paint job was presented to the media by Air Astana President and CEO Peter Foster at Astana International Airport today.

Air Astana, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has unveiled a new addition to its fleet – an Embraer 190-E2 with a snow leopard’s snout painted on its fuselage nose

Air Astana, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has unveiled a new addition to its fleet – an Embraer 190-E2 with a snow leopard's snout painted on its fuselage nose

The incredible paint job was presented to the media by Air Astana President and CEO Peter Foster at Astana International Airport on Friday

The incredible paint job was presented to the media by Air Astana President and CEO Peter Foster at Astana International Airport on Friday

It's not the first E190-E2 to be given an eye-catching makeover, though. Embraer recently took an E190-E2 with a shark painted on its nose on a world tour.

There's a model with a tiger paint job, too.

The Air Astana snow leopard aircraft is the first of five ordered, with the remaining four scheduled for delivery in 2019. 

The snow leopard livery is intended to draw global attention to the threat of extinction faced by this large wild cat, which is a native to the mountain ranges of southern Kazakhstan. 

'All of us at Air Astana are pleased to receive our first E190-E2, and we look forward to a smooth entry into service and a simple transition for our pilots. We know Embraer's E-Jets well, and have high expectations for their new generation aircraft in terms of economics, environmental impact, and levels of comfort and convenience for our customers,' said Mr Foster. 

Air Astana will operate the Embraer 190-E2 on domestic services across Kazakhstan, as well as to destinations in Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and China. The inaugural E2 commercial service from Astana to Almaty is scheduled for December 19, 2018. 

Embraer claims that the new 190-E2 burns 17 per cent less fuel than its predecessor, the E190.

The snow leopard livery is intended to draw global attention to the threat of extinction faced by this large wild cat, which is a native to the mountain ranges of southern Kazakhstan

The snow leopard livery is intended to draw global attention to the threat of extinction faced by this large wild cat, which is a native to the mountain ranges of southern Kazakhstan

One of the most significant plus points for E190-E2 passengers is that the cabin configuration is always 2-2, meaning the dreaded middle seat is never on the cards

One of the most significant plus points for E190-E2 passengers is that the cabin configuration is always 2-2, meaning the dreaded middle seat is never on the cards

The E190-E2 (flight deck pictured) has been in commercial operation with Norway’s Widerøe since April of this year

The E190-E2 (flight deck pictured) has been in commercial operation with Norway's Widerøe since April of this year

The Air Astana aircraft is the first of five ordered, with the remaining four aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2019

The Air Astana aircraft is the first of five ordered, with the remaining four aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2019

EMBRAER E190-E2 FAST FACTS 

The Embraer E190-E2 belongs to a family of twin-engine, single aisle airliners offering a maximum range of up to 5,300km (3,300 miles), which is 1,000km (620 miles) more than the E190. The aircraft has improved aerodynamics, redesigned fuselage and wings and new Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines.

The aircraft is fitted with 108 seats in a four abreast / two-by-two layout which provides more legroom and additional luggage storage space. E2 has a wireless entertainment system, which enables passengers to watch movies and listen to music from their personal devices. 

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This, it says, makes it the most efficient single-aisle aircraft on the market.

One of the most significant plus points for passengers is that the cabin configuration is always 2-2, meaning the dreaded middle seat is never on the cards.

The E190-E2 has been in commercial operation with Norway's Widerøe since April of this year.

Three jets have already accumulated close to 2,000 flight hours achieving schedule reliability of more than 99 per cent, Embraer said recently.

Jaws-dropping: Embraer's shark plane looks menacing in this atmospheric night-time shot

Jaws-dropping: Embraer's shark plane looks menacing in this atmospheric night-time shot

Embraer forecasts 2,820 commercial aircraft up to 150 seats to be delivered over the next 20 years to European and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States – former USSR republics) operators.

The aircraft's main rival is Airbus's A220.

This model is flown by Swiss, AirBaltic, Korean Air and, from 2019, Delta.

The Brazilian company was founded in 1969 and says that it transports about 145 million passengers a year.

It is the world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer with around $6billion (£4.7million) in sales.

It offers a range of civil and military aircraft as well as business jets. 

Embraer has also given one of its E190-E2 jets an amazing tiger livery

Embraer has also given one of its E190-E2 jets an amazing tiger livery

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