BEIJING - A small Brazilian cargo and charter airline, Total Linhas Aereas, is in talks with China's state-owned planemaker COMAC to potentially become the first non-Asian buyer of their C919 passenger jets. This move could mark a significant shift in the global aviation market, dominated by Western giants Airbus and Boeing.

Total's interest stems from supply chain constraints hindering deliveries from established manufacturers. While Airbus and Boeing struggle to meet demand, COMAC reportedly offered delivery of the C919 by next March. This potential deal could also strengthen Brazil-China ties in the aviation sector, coinciding with a planned visit by China's President Xi Jinping in November.

However, industry experts remain cautious. Concerns surround the C919's unproven reliability and lack of established support networks in Brazil. Additionally, financing and certification hurdles remain. Total is exploring options for 80% financing through China Development Bank, but the aircraft's performance and long-term viability are key questions.

The current fleet of in-service C919s includes only nine aircraft, all in service with Chinese airlines.

Source: Reuters
Associated URL: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/brazilian-airline-seeks-buy-planes-chinas-comac-2024-09-26/

FORT WORTH, Tex. -- Embraer plans to expand its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services network to support the growing U.S. E-Jets fleet by opening a new company-owned service center at Perot Field Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas.

In partnership with the city of Fort Worth, Denton County, and the state of Texas, Embraer expects to begin operations in an existing hangar in the first quarter of 2025, while building a second hangar that is to be completed by 2027.

"This expansion will significantly increase the capacity, capability, and footprint of our services network by providing world-class support to our customers and the growing fleet of E-Jets in North America. Also, it is part of Embraer's growth strategy in the U.S.," said Carlos Naufel, President and CEO of Embraer Services & Support.

The new Fort Worth service center will be added to the global service network of Embraer, which includes 80 authorized centers and 12 owned service centers around the world. The city of Fort Worth has been selected as the location for the proposed project, subject to approval by local government authorities of certain proposed incentives.

Source: Embraer

SINGAPORE -- SIA Engineering (Philippines) Corp (SIAEP) has become the first Embraer Authorized Service Center in the Asia-Pacific region to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for Embraer's E-Jets E2 family of aircraft. SIAEP has been an authorized service center in the Asia-Pacific region for Embraer's first-generation E-Jets family since 2017. SIAEP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SIA Engineering Company Ltd (SIAEC).

"SIAEP has been a key partner for Embraer in the region in the last years. With this new agreement, SIAEP becomes even more strategic for the future of our company in the region, as the E2 fleet grows. We are very pleased with this step ahead on our long-term partnership," said Frank Stevens, Vice President of Global MRO Centers for Embraer Services & Support.

Jeremy Yew, SIAEC Senior Vice President of Base Maintenance, said, "We are delighted to extend our existing partnership with Embraer and play a key role in supporting their growth in the Asia-Pacific region. We look forward to providing quality and efficient base maintenance services to the E2 fleet at our facility in Clark."

The E-Jets fleet in the Asia-Pacific region includes both first-generation E-Jets aircraft and E-Jets E2 models. They are operated by airlines in Australia, China, India, Japan, Myanmar, and Singapore.

SIAEP has three hangars at its MRO facility located at Clark in the Philippines. The company's suite of capabilities includes aircraft certification, scheduled heavy maintenance checks, airframe structural inspections, repairs, modifications, paint-stripping, painting of aircraft exteriors, and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) checks. It has approvals from 18 national aviation regulatory authorities, such as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia.

Source: Embraer