Embraer Will "Take The Time It Needs" To Decide On Building An Airbus & Boeing Competitor

While European plane maker Airbus and America’s Boeing usually steal the headlines for the world’s biggest and best aircraft, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer continues to fill a void in the regional aircraft market, with its E175 and E195 remaining a popular choice for short-haul, regional flight operations.

The Brazilian manufacturer had been rumoured to be considering a larger aircraft, and many aviation enthusiasts think they have the brainpower and technological know-how to do so (as suggested by Aviation International News). This could compete head to head with the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737; however, at the latest meeting of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) Assembly of Presidents in Bangkok, Embraer has made it clear they are in no hurry to try to compete with the big wigs, and they will take their time considering if this would be the right move (as per Bloomberg).

In No Hurry

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Embraer is well known for its success of the E-jets, which can be seen in most corners of the globe, with the largest operators including SkyWest, Republic Airways, Envoy Air, and Mesa Airlines in the United States, alongside well-known carriers such as Virgin Australia down under, KLM Cityhopper in Europe, or Azul Linhas Aereas at home in Brazil. The E-Jet has been a great addition to the already popular ERJ family and was first delivered to LOT Polish in 2004.

The president and chief executive officer of Embraer Commercial, Arjan Meijer, was at the AAPA gathering in Bangkok and made it clear to the audience that the consideration of a new aircraft variant could cost upwards of tens of billions of dollars for the manufacturer, and this could drain profitable revenue and affect the current backlog of orders. While Meijer noted that there had been growing calls to develop a new aircraft, the manufacturer remains ‘far away’ from a commitment to consider a larger airplane.

Just earlier this month, Embraer also shelved its plans to develop a next-gen turboprop.

No Turboprop Plans Either

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Embraer announced it would shelve plans to develop a new next-generation turboprop. This was expected to see the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer go head-to-head with Canadian manufacturer Bombardier and Europe’s ATR. Had the proposed aircraft been developed, it was expected to cater to the 70 to 100 passenger regional market.

First announced in 2019, Embraer was looking at new ways to expand, and they decided to consider a turboprop aircraft that could complement the existing E2. 2020 conceptual designs were published, and the aircraft’s capabilities would have seen it operate flights of up to two hours, or 700 miles (1,030 kilometers).

Initially planned for a 2022 launch, it had been hoped deliveries would commence by 2027 or 2028. This design included rear-mounted engines and boasted that it could operate a flight with 5% less fuel burn compared to the ATR-72 or 8% against the Dash-8-400.

Embraer E-Jet Orders And Operators

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According to Embraer, there have been more than 1,930 orders across the four E-jet variants, of which 1,730 have been delivered. This leaves more than 200 airplanes still to be manufactured, with more orders coming in, such as those placed at the current Dubai Airshow. Of the backlog, more than 195 of these airplanes are destined for the United States, with American Airlines awaiting 86, Horizon Air (three), Republic Airways (32), and SkyWest (74). Full order details and deliveries below as of October:

Already, Embraer has seen two notable orders for its E175 and E195-E2 series of aircraft. Swiss carrier Helvetic Airways made a firm order for three E192-E2 with five additional purchase rights. This would see the airlines’ Embraer E2 fleet rise from 12 to 20 aircraft. These deliveries are expected to take off from late 2026 and will be configured in a one-class layout, catering for up to 134 economy class passengers.

Flag carrier of Africa’s Ivory Coast Air Côte d’Ivoire, also looks to expand its regional network, with the West African airline ordering four E175, with an additional eight aircraft purchase rights. The first deliveries of these aircraft are expected in the first half of 2027. These airplanes will be configured to carry up to 76 passengers across both business and economy classes.