The visit of the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, to Embraer headquarters on Friday did not bring the promised new order of E195-E2 jets by Azul Linhas Aéreas carrier.
As mentioned, the 13 planes that the Brazilian airline will receive in 2024 are already part of the pending order for a 2019 agreement.
But Embraer took advantage of the spotlight to announce a new cycle of investments in the country, worth around 2 billion reais (US$390 million).
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According to the company, the investment will be directed to several activities, including research and development activities for new technologies, the expansion of aeronautical services, including the conversion of passenger aircraft into cargo aircraft, defense and security, efficiency improvement projects, and the expansion of industrial activities.
“Embraer begins a new phase of growth based on efficiency and innovation. We are focused on capturing our full potential in the different segments in which we operate towards more sustainable aviation,” said Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer.
The expectation is that another 900 job vacancies will be created, one of the Brazilian president’s campaign promises. Embraer has recently hired another 1,500 employees, returning to pre-pandamic levels when it had 19,000 direct employees, 88% in Brazil.
13 E195-E2 jets to be delivered to Azul in 2024
If the Lula administration’s erroneous disclosure led to the belief that Azul intended to close a new order for E195-E2 jets, the Brazilian carrier will at least expand its aircraft fleet at a faster pace.
The 13 new jets, the first of which registered PS-AEU delivered at Friday’s ceremony, will increase the E195-E2 fleet to 33 aircraft.
Azul is the launch customer for Embraer’s largest passenger jet, having received the first E195-E2 in September 2019.
That year, the airline took delivery of another three planes, in addition to five jets in 2020.
The pandemic interrupted fleet renewal in 2021 and only in 2022 did Azul receive the Embraer plane again, with five copies delivered. Last year, there were six aircraft, totaling 20 E195-E2s.
Azul has a firm order for 51 E2 jets but has so far received planes leased from third parties.
“We live in a country of continental dimensions and we fly to places where no other company flies. This purchase is also an investment in the country’s growth and endorses Azul’s commitment to increasingly connecting Brazil. We are proud to be a Brazilian airline that flies Brazilian planes”, said John Rodgerson, CEO of the airline.
