Embraer banks on Farnborough Airshow to boost C-390 cargo plane sales

MELBOURNE, Australia — Forward of the 2024 Farnborough Worldwide Airshow close to London subsequent week, Brazilian plane producer Embraer has offered the strongest hints but that it sees extra orders for its C-390 Millenium tactical airlifter to return from the occasion.

Chatting with reporters at Embraer’s civil plane manufacturing facility in São José dos Campos final month, the corporate’s president and CEO, Francisco Gomes, stated that C-390 has “a very good gross sales momentum” and he’s “very excited” about additional alternatives in coming years.

“Farnborough would be the greatest present ever for Embraer,” Gomes predicted.

Embraer will show two C-390s on the present, representing the primary two prospects – Brazil and Portugal.

Embraer holds 40 commitments for the turbofan-powered C-390 and on June 26 it delivered the second of 5 plane to the Portuguese Air Power. Portugal’s plane are “NATO Commonplace” plane with Hyperlink 16 and NATO-compatible communications and encryption methods.

“The Portuguese opened the door for us within the NATO neighborhood and we’re increasing our relationship with the Portuguese authorities and Portuguese Air Power,” Bosca da Costa Jr., head of Embraer’s protection and safety arm, instructed Protection Information.

“We’re anticipating to ship two extra models: one for Hungary and one other for Brazil (and) we’re anticipating to finish 2024 with ten plane in service across the globe.”

NATO international locations kind one in all 4 strategic markets for the C-390 recognized by Embraer, with the others together with India, Saudi Arabia and the US.

India is seeking to exchange its Soviet-era Antonov An-32 transports below Delhi’s Medium Transport Plane (MTA) program, and da Costa says it has a requirement for between 40 and 80 plane, with a choice anticipated within the subsequent two to 4 years. To fulfill the federal government’s “Make in India” necessities, Embraer has teamed with Mahindra Aerospace.

“We’ve a powerful localization plan as a requirement on this marketing campaign, and that’s the rationale Embraer has chosen Mahindra as a accomplice,” da Costa stated. “We’re shaping the marketing campaign collectively and, if profitable, we expect to determine a remaining meeting line for the plane in India.

Whereas da Costa says Saudi Arabia doesn’t but have an open tender for its C-130 Hercules substitute program, he sees a possible for about 25 C-390s.

“We’re in an early engagement part with them and we’re additionally anticipating a choice within the subsequent two to 4 years,” he stated.

Da Costa provides that the US is one other essential potential marketplace for the C-390.

“We imagine the C-390 will play an essential position within the U.S. market and we’re there attempting to pitch the C-390 to the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Power Particular Operations Command, as a result of we do imagine the C-390 would add extra worth to these entities,” he stated.

Total, da Costa sees a possible marketplace for 500 plane over the subsequent 20 years, as international locations search to switch their ageing fleets of C-130s and Russian transport plane. Of this complete, he estimates 206 plane shall be wanted within the near-term to switch plane which can be already 45 years outdated.

“The C-390′s able to seize a very good portion of this market and that’s the rationale we’re so optimistic about the way forward for this airplane,” he stated. “Within the coming months we expect to announce some excellent news and we’ll have extra to share at Farnborough.”