Author: Gabriel Araujo
SAO PAULO, March 9 (Reuters) – Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer could launch the E175-E1 regional jet on a potential production line in India as early as 2028, but the plan depends on orders for at least 200 aircraft, CEO Francisco Gomes Neto told Reuters on Friday.
Earlier this year, Embraer and India’s Adani Group announced a memorandum of understanding to establish a final assembly line in India for the Brazilian company’s first-generation jetliner.
The move would mark a major victory for the Indian government, which has been urging aircraft manufacturers to build jets locally, and a geographical shift for Embraer, which currently only makes commercial jets in Brazil.
“Of course, we will not start major investments without orders. This is the first point, we need orders. What we are saying is: to set up an assembly line, we need to produce at least 200 aircraft there,” Gomez Neto said.
He added that if the order is secured before the end of 2026, the company will be able to start delivering aircraft in 2028.
“It’s going to take about 24 months, which we believe is enough time to start making that happen. They know that and we know that,” the CEO said.
Gomez Neto said Embraer has identified at least 1,800 Indian routes that can be operated by E1 aircraft. The E1 aircraft, which can seat up to 88 people, are vital to U.S. regional aviation but have lacked demand elsewhere in recent years.
The executive noted that a factory in India would help Embraer boost production while replenishing its hybrid production line in Brazil with orders for the newer E2 family of aircraft, which are seeing strong global demand.
Embraer initially aimed to deliver 100 commercial aircraft in a year in 2028 and now sees a chance to reach that milestone in 2027, the CEO said.
Saudi Arabia No Longer a C-390 Hotspot
In addition to commercial aircraft, Embraer is also developing the C-390 military cargo aircraft in India with Mahindra & Mahindra, calling the country a “strategic market” for its defense sector.
Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the United States are also set to receive the label in 2024, but Gomez Neto said prospects for orders from Middle Eastern countries were now dim.
“It’s still a commercial area, but it’s not a hot spot for us at the moment,” he said, adding that Embraer was focusing on India and the United States.
Embraer had hoped to replace Saudi Arabia’s aging Lockheed Martin C-130 fleet. In 2023, when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva visited the country, the country signed an agreement with SAMI, which is backed by Saudi public wealth fund PIF, to explore a potential C-390 assembly line there.
