Embraer eyes doubling MidEast small jet sales

Brazilian plane maker Embraer is looking to double the number of jets it sells to the Middle East and Africa over the next two years. It sees rapid growth in the number of its E-Jet commercial aircraft operating in the region, according to Mathieu Duquesnoy, commercial aviation vice president for the Middle East and Africa. “Presently, we have a 74 percent market share for jets with up to 120 seats in the Middle East and Africa. The goal is to double the number of units in the region in the coming two years,” he said in comments published by the Arab Brazil News Agency. Embraer leads the sector for jets with up to 120 seats in the region, with 65 E-Jet units in the Arab world, flown by nine operators including EgyptAir, Gulf Air, Nasair, Saudi Airlines, Oman Air and Royal Jordanian. Duquesnoy added: “What we are seeing is that the region needs aircraft this size, not only large aircraft. "It needs regional aircraft with 70 to 120 seat capacity. Traffic density in the region requires more than that, and our aircraft are able to meet the demand in terms of performance load, and comfort,” he was quoted as saying. Duquesnoy added that Embraer saw a potential for at least 310 additional units in the coming 20 years in the Middle East. "However, we sense that it may be much more, due to the growth we had in the last five years and have the right product for customers in the region,” he said. Duquesnoy said Embraer is already in talks with all operators in the region and is allocating more personnel to the region in order to “be closer to the clients". In June, Embraer said it saw the Middle East, alongside China and Latin America, as key drivers for growth in demand for smaller aircraft. The company, which in April delivered two planes to Oman Air with another two set to arrive in 2012, said growth in the Middle East for 30- to 120-seater aircraft would average 6.9 percent over the next 20 years. Compared to the Middle East, Embraer said the more developed economies of North America and Europe would see lower demand due to their market maturity and slower economic recovery. Growth rates to 2030 will be 3.5 percent and 4.4 percent respectively. Globally, Embraer foresees world demand for 7,225 new jet deliveries in the 30- to 120-seat capacity segment over the next 20 years. The equivalent market value is estimated to be $320 billion. Of this total, 3,125 jets are projected to be delivered between 2011 and 2020, and the remaining 4,100 units between 2021 and 2030.