Q&A with Embraer’s Raul Villaron

Embraer S.A, the Brazilian aerospace major and the world’s third-largest manufacturer of civil aircraft, has big plans for India. The company plans to establish a final assembly line (FAL) for commercial jets in India by 2028 in partnership with Adani Defence & Aerospace, aiming for 200 plus firm orders. Raul Villaron The partnership includes developing a comprehensive local supplier ecosystem and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and focuses on producing E175 regional jets for India’s growing Tier-2/3 connectivity under the UDAN scheme. In an interview with Shelley Vishwajeet of Asian Aviation, Raul Villaron, Senior Vice President, Head of Asia Pacific, Embraer Commercial Aviation, detailed Embraer’s plan for India. Q1: Embraer has announced ambitious plans for India. However, Embraer’s media announcements has centred on creating aircraft manufacturing facilities. Do you also have plans to develop robust MRO facilities to service the future/expected orders of aircraft? A: Embraer has a growing footprint and long history in India, with nearly 50 Embraer aircraft and 11 aircraft types currently operating across commercial, defence and business aviation. The E-Jets family of regional and small narrowbody jets brings significant benefits to India’s air connectivity by unlocking ‘blue ocean’ opportunities found in tier two and tier three cities. Embraer not only sees India as a growth market but also as a partner. We are partnering with Indian industry to build a ready ecosystem that meets future demand and drives India’s aerospace ambition. MRO remains a key aspect of our industrial partnerships in India.  Our partnership with Adani Defense & Aerospace for the E175 regional transport aircraft is focused not just on aircraft manufacturing, but also building an ecosystem of which Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and aftermarket services, pilot training and supply chain are essential aspects.  Q2: What is the scope of your collaboration with Adani Defense and Aerosystems? A: In January, we announced a strategic partnership with Adani Defence & Aerospace with the aim to establish an assembly line for the E175. Both companies are already working together to progress all aspects of the MoU, including opportunities in aircraft manufacturing, supply chain, aftermarket services, pilot training, and the orders needed to secure the final assembly line. The E175 is the most successful regional jet and continues to benefit from strong demand, not just in the US, but also in Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific. In India, besides serving new markets and addressing its ‘Blue Ocean’ opportunity, the E175 can also serve as highly efficient turboprop upgrade – improving comfort, speed and cargo capacity for airlines currently using turboprops. With the E175-E1, Embraer is offering the latest commercial aircraft technology and one of the best aircraft in its segment to India, in contrast to turboprop platforms which are significantly older. Our forecast is India will need at least 500 regional jets in the coming years. The assembly line will need significant orders for a FAL to be feasible. We are in ongoing discussions with a range of carriers and are working towards a timeline of rolling out jets from the FAL by 2028, once we have the firm orders this year. Q3: Please share with us some information about Embraer’s MRO facilities in other countries. A: Embraer Services & Support supports over 2,000 customers in more than 100 countries. Its global network comprises 80 authorised service centers and 14 owned MRO facilities, besides 200 field support representatives, 7 warehouses, and 100 flight simulators. The business unit also includes OGMA, based in Portugal, a global leader in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for civil and military aircraft and engines. Our Asia Pacific MRO ecosystem is anchored in Singapore, our regional nerve centre for operations and support. The country hosts our regional distribution centre, managing more than US $100 million in spare parts, as well as an E‑Jets E2 simulator serving the region. Together with authorised service centres in Singapore and the Philippines supporting both E‑Jets E2 and E‑Jets, we deliver integrated, end‑to‑end maintenance and training capabilities across Asia Pacific. Q4:  What has been your experience in dealing with the Indian government? Do you think the government is really serious about developing a robust MRO eco-system? A: The aerospace sector offers a prime avenue for Indo-Brazil cooperation. In terms of policy and framework enhancements, we are encouraged by the vision, plans, speed and support given by the government both at central & state levels. We are closely tracking the major policy reforms introduced in recent years to ensure full alignment with India’s evolving aerospace priorities. We remain sharply focused on delivering the advanced aerospace capabilities India needs, while fully meeting our Make‑in‑India and localization commitments. We remain encouraged by the government’s vision for regional aviation and the successes of the current UDAN scheme. Embraer looks forward to the enhancements proposed to UDAN and we remain thankful for the support shown and the guidance from Ministry of Civil Aviation for our Regional Transport Aircraft offering. Embraer is committed to bringing world-class technology and innovation to support India’s aerospace growth, advance self-reliance, and help realize its ambition of becoming a global aviation hub. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]