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On the Record with
Mauricio Botelho, President & CEO, Embraer
Embraer Targets Chinese Regional Jets
Regional jets for China and the Super Tucano trainer/light attack
turboprop are the priorities of Brazil's Embraer at Asian Aerospace
this year.
Both aircraft types offer cost-effective solutions for local market
needs, says Embraer president and CEO Maurício Botelho.
China, where Embraer has been busy since the mid-1990s, is of
course the big plum. "I am very enthusiastic about the Chinese
market," Botelho says. "They are very much interested
in developing a regional airline network."
Embraer's got the aircraft China needs, he says, offering a line
of regional jets and turboprops ranging from the 30-passenger EMB-120
Brazilia turboprop to the 110-passenger ERJ-195 regional jet. "We
are the only company with the ability to serve this market from
the bottom to the very high end of it," Botelho says.
Embraer has thus far had its best success with the 50-seat ERJ-145
in China, notching orders of five aircraft for Sichuan Airlines,
20 firm and ten option orders for China Southern Airlines, and ten
ERJ-145s for Wuhan Airlines.
The Brazilian airframer has had a permanent office in Beijing
since May 2000. It's staffed by about 15 Embraer employees, with
a Chinese-born and Brazilian-educated managing director in the person
of Mr. Guan Dongyuan.
The company last year established a major parts presence in China,
working with China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Corp to warehouse
about $20 million worth of inventory. The venture with CASC, China's
fifth largest trading company with annual turnover exceeding $1.5
billion, is seen as generally enhancing Embraer's aircraft sales
capabilities in the region, as well as supporting the operation
of Embraer aircraft by Sichuan, China Southern, and Wuhan.
Embraer's goal is to establish a final assembly line in China
for its regional jets, Botelho told Show News, though he concedes
that, as of yet, "Nothing is solid enough to become a fact."
"We are progressing strategically to make our presence in
China effective and permanent," he says.
By Rich Piellisch
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Embraer Offers Super Tucano
Embraer is formally offering export sales of the Super Tucano
trainer and light attack turboprop for the first time here.
The Super Tucano costs about $5.5 million a copy, and can
be operated from remote, austere airfields with a minimum
of support infrastructure.
The 1,600-shp aircraft comes with latest generation digital
avionics, from Elbit of Israel, including head-up display,
night vision system, and built-in test equipment for fault
identification and repair; and an onboard oxygen generator.
The attack version has a pair of 50-caliber wing-mounted machine
guns as well as provision for other ordnance, and computerized
weapons management. It is available in single- and two-seat
versions. The two-pilot airplane has a FLIR (forward-looking
infrared) system for night surveillance and attack.
The Brazilian government has placed 76 firm orders and taken
23 options for the aircraft they call the ALX.
Embraer has also sold 10 Super Tucanos to the Dominican
Republic Air Force.
"It is an aircraft designed for border surveillance
and counter-insurgency operations," says Embraer CEO
Maurício Botelho, and as such should be attractive
to governments in the Southeast Asia region as well. Some
700 of the new trainer-fighter's predecessor, the EMB-312
Tucano, have been sold worldwide.
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Embraer Challenges Fairchild Dornier
Embraer, which has been in a protracted war of words with
Canada and Montreal-based Bombardier over alleged subsidies
of the two countries' respective aircraft industries, is now
challenging Germany for its support of Fairchild Dornier.
Embraer, Brazil's largest exporter, said early this month
it would ask the Government of Brazil to investigate reports
that the German and Bavarian governments are planning to provide
$345 million in loan guarantees to Fairchild Dornier. Fairchild
Dornier's 728JET and 928JET regional airliners compete with
Embraer's ERJ-170, -175, -190, and -195 series aircraft.
"This kind of government assistance is fundamentally
unfair," said Embraer external relations VP Henrique
Rzezinski. "We are constantly being told by the developed
countries that we must rely on the market and not on subsidies,"
he said. "Yet we are constantly being faced with concrete
evidence that some of these countries do not practice what
they preach. They do not leave their aircraft manufacturers
to fend for themselves in the market."
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