Regional jets revolutionized aviation worldwide and Rio Sul introduced the ERJ-145, also known as Jet Class, Embraer's absolute success, offering comfort and speed on regional routes. Equipped with two modern Rolls-Royce engines and computerized systems, ERJ-145 operates safely and efficiently. When VARIG absorbed Rio Sul and Nordeste, in 2003/2004, it added to its fleet eleven ERJ-145. Those aircraft were used in regional routes and to complement B737 on domestic routes.

The first unit (PP-SPA) was received in August 1997 by VARIG's regional subsidiary Rio Sul. Still in 1997, Rio Sul received more six units. In 1998 received five and in 1999 received three. In 2000 the last unit was delivered, the only one LR (Long Range) version, all the others were ER (Extended Range) version. Since 2000, Rio Sul operated 15 ERJ-145 simultaneously. In December 1998 PP-SPE suffered an accident after landing in Curitiba and the aircraft was taken out of operation.

The ERJ-145 was specially ordered because it could operate from Santos Dumont Airport to cities like Belo Horizonte and Brasília, as the airport was restricted to aircraft with up to 50 seats for other routes besides the Rio-São Paulo "Air Bridge". The company intended to operate up to 30 units, but plans changed when DAC released the operation of larger jets in Santos Dumont Airport.

In 2003 three ERJ-145s were returned and in 2004 another unit was returned. After the merger with Rio Sul and Nordeste, in 2003/2004, VARIG started operating the eleven remaining ERJ-145. In 2005 one unit was returned and by the end of the year all other ERJ-145s were removed from operation.