Embraer announces US$40million Investment in Asia Pacific

Embraer is to significantly expand its presence in Asia Pacific with an investment of US$40 million to be made in 2007. The plans include new commercial agreements and collaboration with industry service providers that will allow it to offer enhanced training and spare parts distribution to the growing number of Embraer customers in the region. Embraer’s growing orders for regional jets has reached a firm backlog of 128 aircraft for the Asia Pacific region, including China.

Embraer will provide increased spare parts support throughout the region in conjunction with Menlo Worldwide and training with a global training provider located in Singapore.

Investments in these activities will be made through a Singapore incorporated wholly owned subsidiary called Embraer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. which will also be responsible for Embraer’s marketing and sales for new aircraft in the region. The number of staff at the Singapore headquarters will double to more than 40 employees in 2007 to support these plans.

Embraer’s Executive Vice President, Airline Market Mr. Frederico Fleury Curado said, “Asia is an extremely important region for Embraer. Recent sales have demonstrated that the market here is well suited to our products and we want to make sure that our new customers in the region can benefit from the best possible support services.”

"We are delighted that Embraer, a world leader in regional jets, has chosen Singapore as its hub for customer support, simulator training and distribution activities for the Asia Pacific market. This is the first significant investment in our aerospace industry from Brazil, and will add diversity to our vibrant aerospace industry cluster. It reaffirms our industrial strengths in supply chain efficiency and aerospace maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), and gives a strong boost to our effort to develop Singapore into a premier aviation training hub in Asia." said Mr Ko Kheng Hwa, Managing Director of Economic Development Board.

Embraer also has plans to position an Embraer owned E-Jets Level D Full Flight Simulator with a world class training provider in a new state-of-the-art facility in Singapore. The details of the training provider and housing agreement are subject to final agreement and are expected to be confirmed in the near future.

Operations of the simulator are scheduled to commence in June of this year while Technical and Flight Attendant training is scheduled to begin in 2008.

By the end of 2007, Embraer regional jets will be flying in the following Asia Pacific countries: Australia, China, India, Taiwan and Thailand. As of 31 December 2006, Embraer had 619 firm orders for the E-Jets, 209 of which have been delivered to customers.

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