Source: Reuters Author: Elzio Barreto 01/30/2010
Subject Concerned: Aircraft
Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer may develop its largest-ever jet in a bid to meet demand by airlines, Folha de S.Paulo newspaper reported on Jan. 30, citing a company executive.
The new jet would be based on Embraer's 195 model, which seats up to 122 people, and may be ready for delivery starting in 2015 or 2016 if the company decides to go ahead with the project, said Mauro Kern, Embraer's vice president of commercial aviation, according to Folha de S.Paulo.
"We are studying some fronts today, looking into the future, to fill a market in the second half of this decade," Kern told Folha de S.Paulo. "Among those plans, there is a jet slightly bigger than the 195."
Kern said Embraer is not considering building jets with 150 seats or more to compete with Boeing Co or Airbus, Folha de S.Paulo reported.
Embraer is eyeing demand for the replacement of older aircraft that seat up to 150 people, such as the MD-80 jets, Folha de S.Paulo said, citing a separate, unnamed Embraer executive.