The UK’s second largest regional airline – which flys from Birmingham to Newcastle – has added another jet to its fleet of 31 aircraft.

Eastern Airways has bought a 50-seat Embraer 145 for the airlines domestic network and scheduled European and charter flights.

The aircraft was manufactured in Brazil, has two Rolls Royce A3007 jet engines and a cruising speed of 521mph.

Eastern Airways’ fleet is made up of Embraer 145, Saab 2000, Embraer 135 and British Aerospace Jetstream 41 aircraft.

Kay Ryan, Eastern Airways’ commercial director, said: “We have increased our jet fleet as the Embraer 145 is well suited to our needs as it offers up to 50 seats to meet the demand levels from the regional markets we serve and provides fast jet performance.

“This jet will appear regularly on our scheduled network throughout the UK and Europe and will also be used on private charter services, where this aircraft type has proved particularly popular.”