Embraer, of Brazil, may develop a larger jet with seats for over 120 passengers, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The airplane would target a niche between the regional jets that Embraer builds now and commercial airliners like those built by Boeing and Airbus. “Whether we should develop a larger plane, alone or with partners, is something that we will have to decide,” Antonio Luiz Pizarro Manso, Embraer’s chief financial officer, said on a conference call, according to Reuters. “Right now, we think the market is well supplied by the existing models, the (Boeing) 737 and the (Airbus) A320,” he said. “So our strategy is to wait a bit, especially to see what kind of engine can be developed for such a project.” Pizarro Manso also said he would be open to partnering with Airbus to develop a new airplane, but added that “there is nothing specific at the moment.”
Embraer also this week released its first market outlook dedicated to the Chinese market, at Airshow China 2008, in the city of Zhuhai. The market outlook presents Embraer’s vision of the future development trends of the regional segment. In line with the expansion of China’s aviation market, Embraer forecasts a total demand of 875 new regional aircraft over the next 20 years, consisting of 120 for 30 to 60 seats, 295 for 61 to 90 seats, and 460 for 91 to 120 seats.
