Embraer’s top management answered questions from the media and investors on Friday after the company’s third-quarter financial results were released.
Among them, AIRWAY asked Francisco Gomes Neto, the company’s CEO, about a slide from a presentation during the “C-390 Millennium Users Group” event, which brought together customers of the multirole jet in September in Brazil
The image showed Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Chile alongside confirmed operators, suggesting that they are new customers of the aircraft.
In response, Embraer’s chief executive acknowledged that the three nations have shown interest in the aircraft, but that no deal has been finalized.
Potential customers in the Middle East
Francisco Gomes highlighted the sales potential of the C-390 in the Middle East, but again without confirming whether the manufacturer has closed any orders in the region.
In addition to the Emirates, the tactical cargo aircraft is being evaluated by Saudi Arabia and Egypt, among others.
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In Morocco, the local media is already assuming that an order for the Millennium will be placed with the air force, and the recent signing of an agreement between Embraer and the government reinforces this impression.
Although he confirmed sales of the C-390 to the Netherlands, Austria and the Czech Republic this year, there have been no new customer announcements so far, unlike in 2023, when three new customers emerged.
Problems with engines and structural parts
Embraer’s CEO also pointed to problems with deliveries of engines and structural parts, specifically with the E2 family, which uses Pratt & Whitney GTF turbofans, as the causes of the delay in deliveries in 2024.
The manufacturer intended to deliver up to 80 commercial aircraft, but revised its guidance to up to 73 jets. Gomes Neto believes that the situation should improve in 2025 to “avoid last-minute surprises”.
According to him, the planemaker has its production slots filled until the end of 2026 and that there are negotiations for the sale of more than 200 commercial aircraft currently.
