DUBAI: Brazil’s Embraer SA, the world’s top regional aircraft maker, sees market potential of $14 billion for its aircraft ranges in the Middle East region in the period from now to 2030, a senior official said on Sunday.
The Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil-based firm, which exports most of its planes, sees demand of 310 jets in the 60-120 passenger jet segment in the region from 2011 to 2030, Mathieu Duquesnoy, the company’s vice-president of commercial aviation for Middle East and Africa said at the Dubai Air Show.
Embraer recently opted to upgrade the engine in its E-jets instead of designing a bigger, brand-new family of airplanes that would have taken on larger rivals.
The company is aiming for re-engined E-jet entry into service in 2018 and is in talks with Pratt & Whitney, CFM and Rolls-Royce, Paulo Cesar Souza e Silva, president of Embraer’s commercial aviation unit said. CFM is a joint venture between General Electric and France’s Safran.
Silva said that the company would take a year to finalize details of the revamp.
"We want to listen to 40 to 50 plus clients to understand what they are looking for," he told a news conference, adding that it was possible the E-jet would need a new wing.
"We’re receiving good feedback regarding capacity, some of our clients are asking to increase the size…we’re studying that since we’re studying the new engine and wings — so increasing the size without losing performance is an option," Silva said.
Embraer delivered 28 commercial aircraft and 18 executive jets in the third quarter. It competes with Canada’s Bombardier Inc in the regional jet space business, and the two are increasingly coming up against EADS and Boeing , the world’s top two planemakers.
The planemaker had won orders for 39 Embraer 190 regional jets worth $1.7 billion at list prices at the Paris Air Show in June.
