Embraer is building on momentum for its aftermarket activities with a slew of new deals at the Paris Air Show.
In the Brazilian manufacturer’s most recent results, for the first quarter of 2023, services and support was its biggest revenue earner by some margin, recording a 20% increase year-on-year to $326 million. Revenue for commercial aviation, in contrast, was $199 million.
Further growth will be supported by Embraer’s new freighter conversion program for E190 and E195 regional jets.
Today (June 21) the company signed a letter of agreement for Lanzhou Aviation to become the Chinese launch customer for the freighters, with Lanzhou agreeing to a tentative deal for 20 E190Fs and E195Fs.
“The opportunity in China had a significant influence during the decision-making process of the launch of our P2F program. It is a market with increasing demand for cargo aircraft to accommodate the tremendous growth of e-commerce trade and the consequent evolution of the logistics industry,” said Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation.
Currently, there are 85 E-Jets flying in China with Tianjin Airlines, Hebei Airlines, Beibu Gulf Airlines and Colorful Guizhou Airlines. Embraer has also established a comprehensive after-sales service and support system in China, including authorized maintenance centers, spare parts warehouses and a complete pilot training network.
Embraer is also enhancing its digital support offering, releasing the next generation of its AHEAD (Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis) system for predictive maintenance.
The new version implements 12 new reliability trends of aircraft systems for early degradation detection on the E2; predictive capabilities powered with machine learning; and troubleshooting enhancement for Flight Controls No Dispatch.
One AHEAD user is Star Air. The Indian carrier also recently signed up to Embraer’s pool program for its E175s, supplementing a similar support agreement for its ERJ145s.