In Mexico, Embraer prioritizes the sale of defense jets – 10/01/2024 – Market

Embraer sees Mexico as a privileged market for its Super Tucano and C-390 defense planes, according to a company director.

The president of Embraer, Francisco Gomes Neto, said this Monday (30) that the aircraft manufacturer, the third largest in the world, is in active discussions with the Mexican government and that it took a C-390 to the country for demonstration flights .

The C-390 is known as a multi-mission aircraft and competes with Lockheed’s C-130.

“We believe it can be a great solution for Mexico,” Gomes Neto told Reuters during a visit to Mexico ahead of new president Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration.

The executive did not say how many aircraft of each model he intends to sell to Mexico.

If Mexico completes the purchase of the lighter Super Tucano aircraft, which Gomes Neto highlighted for its use as a training aircraft or for border surveillance, it will join several other Latin American countries that have placed orders in recent months.

Gomes Neto said that the company is also keeping an eye on sales of executive jets in the country, the third largest market in the world for this type of aircraft. “We hope to increase our fleet in Mexico by 11% in the next two years”, highlighted the director.

Embraer closed a $750 million order in June for 20 E2 jets for military-run Mexican commercial airline Mexicana.

Gomes Neto minimized analysts’ concerns about the stability of the negotiation, considering Mexicana’s alleged lack of payment to a US contractor.

“We are working with Mexicana very closely, we really want this operation to be a great success to show the market the quality of the aircraft,” he said.