Boosted by business jets, Embraer delivers 75 aircraft in Q4 2023
Embraer deliveries increased 13 pc in 2023
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, which is the third largest in the world behind Airbus and Boeing, delivered 75 aircraft in Q4, 2023, with 49 executive jets, including 30 light and 19 medium, 25 commercial jets and 1 military C-390 jet.
In a press statement, Embraer says that with the Q4 numbers, its total deliveries in 2023 rose to 181 aircraft, an increase of 13 pc compared to 2022 when the company delivered 160. The company says it continues to face supply chain delays which have affected 2023 deliveries.
On a year-on-year basis, Embraer’s order backlog rose by USD 1.2 billion, reaching a total of USD 18.7 billion in 2023, the highest number recorded since Q 1, 2018, says the statement.
Embraer says that executive aviation continued its sales momentum with sustained demand across its entire product portfolio and strong customer acceptance in both retail and fleet markets. The business unit ended the year with a book-to-bill in excess of 1.3:1 and a US$4.3 billion backlog, a USD 400 million growth YoY. The 74 deliveries of light jets in 2023 were 12 pc higher YoY and the largest volume in seven years. Moreover, the 41 deliveries of medium jets also posted double-digit annual growth at 14 pc, says the airplane maker.
C-390 Millennium
In defence and security, Embraer says that South Korea was in the spotlight with the victory of the C-390 Millennium in the Large Transport Aircraft (LTA) II public tender to provide the new military transport aircraft. The country is the C-390 Millennium’s first customer in Asia. Furthermore, late last year, the first NATO-configured KC-390 Millenium entered into service for the Portuguese Air Force.
The aircraft was also selected by Austria and Czech Republic in 2023, and by the Netherlands in 2022. Negotiations about the 11 aircraft have not yet been incorporated into Embraer Defence and Security’s backlog, which represents a significant potential for the coming quarters. In Q4, 2023, the business’ unit backlog is USD 2.5 billion, a USD 100 million growth YoY.
In commercial aviation, Embraer says that its E-Jets family deliveries increased 12 pc YoY from 57 jets in 2022 to 64 in 2023, supported by a book-to-bill in excess of 1.1:1. The highlight was the E2 group whose deliveries more than doubled from 19 aircraft in 2022 to 39 in 2023. The business unit backlog reached 298 aircraft in Q4, 2023 for a total of USD 8.8 billion, a USD 200 million growth YoY.
E195-E2
The statement adds that Canada’s Porter Airlines exercised its purchase rights and placed a firm order for 25 Embraer E195-E2 passenger jets, adding to their existing 50 aircraft firm orders. The Canadian airline now has a total of 46 firm orders to be delivered and 25 remaining purchase rights. Embraer says that the backlog now includes 4 E175s previously signed by American Airlines and 2 additional aircraft ordered in December.
Embraer has reported healthy growth not just in sales of new aircraft, but its services and support division also grew, ending 2023 with a backlog of USD 3.1 billion, a USD 400 million growth YoY, the highest level ever recorded. The backlog includes renewed contracts of integrated logistical support services and comprehensive airframe maintenance programs, such as the Pool Programme for Commercial Aviation and Embraer Executive Care for Executive Aviation. These long-term contracts in the backlog cover mainly pool contracts and other services as spare parts, repair, maintenance, and technical services.
The Brazilian firm says that the growth momentum in the business unit accelerated further when it announced a deal which has doubled its maintenance service capacity for executive jets in the United States. The expansion will support the continued growth of its customer base through the addition of three executive aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities at Dallas Love Field in Texas, at Cleveland in Ohio and at Sanford in Florida, all in the United States
