Brazilian planemaker Embraer targets defense jet sales in Mexico visit

By Kylie Madry

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Brazilian planemaker Embraer views Mexico as a prime market for its Super Tucano and C-390 defense aircraft, the company’s head said on Monday.

Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said that the planemaker, the world’s third-largest, was in active talks with Mexico’s government and had brought 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 incoming President Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration.

The executive did not say how many of each aircraft it was looking to sell to Mexico.

If Mexico were to tie up a purchase of the lighter Super Tucano aircraft, which Gomes Neto highlighted for its use as a training aircraft or for border surveillance, it would join a number of other Latin American countries firming up orders in recent months.

Gomes Neto said that it was also eyeing business jet sales in Mexico, the world’s third-largest market for such aircraft.

“We expect to grow our fleet in Mexico by 11% in the next two years,” he said.

Embraer tied up a $750 million order in June for 20 E2 jetliners to Mexico’s military-run commercial airline Mexicana.

Gomes Neto shrugged off concerns from analysts about the stability of the deal, considering Mexicana’s alleged failure to pay back a U.S. contractor.

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

The executive also said that Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena had met with the firm earlier this year in Brazil and that “she was very positive about the future of Mexicana.”

“Embraer is looking for a win-win situation in doing business with Mexico,” he added.