Page 15 - AAA MARCH - MAY 2022 Online Magazine

is spurring demand for E-Jets is the smaller period. The company predicts that 60 per cent of the freighter
capacities that make them ideal for handling aircraft delivered during that period, around 750 aircraft, will be P2F
reduced traffic demand. With the demand for conversions. Boeing remains the frontrunner in the P2F sector with
smaller aircraft expected to continue even the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) and the 737-800
in the post-pandemic era, company officials BCF, but Airbus has been able to make inroads into the market with
believe that the new E-Jet E2 family can prove the A330P2F and the A321P2F. “The Coronavirus pandemic has
to be hugely popular with Asia-Pacific carriers. shaken up the freighter market like never before, driving a sustained
According to Raul Villaron, Asia-Pacific growth in demand which we believe will result in around 1,000 [p2f]
vice-president Asia for Embraer Commercial conversions over the next 10 years,” says Phil Seymour, president
Aviation, Asia-Pacific operators of the original of IBA. With demand outstripping supply, Embraer’s entry into the
E-Jet family are “natural candidates for E2s. field was not a question of if but when.
The company has seen strong interest from With the cargo and e-commerce market growing, Embraer’s
existing customers in Japan, Australia, Vietnam, entry into the market is timely and strategic as well. There are about
and Myanmar, he says. Indonesia, Malaysia, 700 E190 and E195 aircraft that are between 15-20 years of age,
India, and Nepal are other markets where E2s and P2F conversions will give such aircraft a new lease of life. Major
are likely to be in demand, he adds. Another players in the P2F sector are not focused on the regional market,
major market with potential is Australia, which and this provides an opportunity for the Brazilian plane maker to
has four E-Jet operators: Alliance, Pionair, make major inroads into the market. Embraer jets are in demand in
Cobham Aviation, and Air North. Africa, and the company is likely to heavily promote the P2F prod-
ucts in the region. The U.S. is another major market with potential.
Entering New Territory
Barely two months after the airline announced According to the company, the E-Jet Freighter will have over 50
that it was entering the freighter conversion per cent more volume capacity, three times the range of large
market, the Brazilian plane maker announced cargo turboprops, and up to 30 per cent lower operating costs
that Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC), the world’s than narrowbodies. The E190F is equipped to handle a payload
largest regional aircraft leasing company, will of 23,600lb (10,700kg) while the E195F has a payload capacity of
be a launch lessor of its E-Jet Passenger to 27,100 lb (12,300 kg).
Freight (P2F) conversions. The two companies “The E-Jet air freighters will provide fast, reliable, and cost-ef-
fective service to freight forwarders, extend the revenue earning
life of E-Jets, support E-Jets’ asset values and create a strong
business case encouraging the replacement of earlier aircraft with
modern, more efficient, passenger aircraft,” says Johann Bordais,
President & CEO, Embraer Services and Support.

Turboprop Plans
Even as it promotes its new P2F project, Embraer is quietly working
on plans to develop a turboprop and will keep investing in the proj-
ect throughout the year even though it is not a given that it would go
ahead with the development of the aircraft. “The turboprop project
is moving very well. We are now in the phase to define a supplier
have agreed in principle to take up to 10 con- for this aircraft. We are doing tests already with the concepts, so it
version slots for E190F/E195F, with aircraft for is moving very well. Furthermore, we expect to be ready to make a
conversion coming from NAC’s existing E190/ final decision on the business case by the end of the year, beginning
E195 fleet. Deliveries will start in 2024 with the of 2023,” said company’s CEO, Francisco Gomes Neto, while on a
P2F conversions taking place at Embraer’s call with investors in April.
facilities in Brazil. “Perfectly positioned to fill the Embraer is also in talks with Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and
gap in the freighter market between turboprops GE about providing an engine for the two turboprop variants, the
and larger narrowbody jets, our P2F E-Jet TP70 and TP90. A decision is expected in the second half of the
conversion hits the market as the demand for year. The proposed Embraer turboprop, which will have rear fuse-
airfreight continues to take off, and as e-com- lage-mounted engines, is expected to be less noisy than existing
merce and trade, in general, undergoes a global planes and have 70- and 90- seat versions, with the larger one
structural transformation,” says Meijer. carrying more passengers than the ATR72. The aircraft is likely to
have a range of over 800 nautical miles (around 1,481 kilometers)
According to Boeing’s World Air Cargo and will be faster than the ATR 72-600. The turboprop market is
Forecast 2020-2039, the world air cargo traffic currently dominated by ATR and DeHavilland, but Embraer believes
is expected to grow at four per cent per year there is space for a third player. According to company estimates,
over the next 20 years. This, and the increasing there is a demand for at least 1,080 turboprops around the world,
need for freighter capacity, will result in a 60 with the Asia-Pacific and China regions accounting for much of the
per cent larger freighter fleet over that same demand. The U.S. market is sizable as well.

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