Embraer sets its sights on China’s lucrative regional air travel market

Embraer, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, is eyeing the rapidly growing regional aviation market in China’s smaller cities to drive its growth. According to Embraer’s market outlook, China is expected to require 1,630 aircraft with 150 seats and below over the next 20 years. The company’s chief commercial officer, Martyn Holmes, notes that smaller-sized jets are key to establishing network connectivity on a larger scale. Embraer currently operates around 80 aircraft in China, connecting small and medium-sized airports and facilitating travel in the regional market. The company is capitalizing on the growing passenger traffic at regional airports in second and third-tier Chinese cities. By 2035, China is expected to become a leader in civil aviation transportation, with some 1.5 billion passenger trips handled annually. The cooperation between China and Brazil is seen as a model of South-South cooperation in the field of high-end manufacturing, with Embraer’s partnership with a Chinese company to manufacture the ERJ145 in China being a notable example.