Embraer, the Brazilian major airframe maker, has had a presence in Asia for a little over a decade. According to the company, China is now the world’s second largest market for aircraft. Embraer’s Beijing office, as well as a joint venture to build ERJ 145 jets in Harbin, are now showing their true value. The company operates primarily from Singapore, but has managed to expand its presence throughout the entire Pacific Rim.
Embraer CEO Frederico Curado explained that the company’s decision to invest heavily in the region has proven worthwhile. He added that the decision was made with careful planning, and implemented following a specific strategy- splitting the company’s marketing efforts into two regions: China, and the rest of Asia.
“I think it was the right call to separate our focus,” Curado said. “China is a specific market and demands a specific focus… I think the decision was key to our success in China.”
“China is still a planned economy,” he added. “For example, business jets have a major application within the airlines, so take Air China, take Hainan, take China Eastern, they all operate business jets within their infrastructure, so things are kind of tied. I think in China one business helps the other maybe more than in other places… There are new players coming. For example, Minsheng, one of our customers and a large operating lease facility, they belong to a bank. The market is just really growing right now; the major players are establishing themselves now; it’s a perfect moment to be there.”