The full potential of regional aviation in India is still to be realised

Regional jets provide airlines the flexibility to place the aircraft on strategically important routes where demand is currently thin, explains RAUL VILLARON, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Embraer, in this interview with CRUISING HEIGHTS

How have the last two years been for Embraer in the Asia Pacific?

The past two years have really raised the prominence of E-Jets and the value-addition it brings to airlines across the globe. Amidst the volatility of passenger demand, the E-Jets' versatility has enabled airlines to maintain or strategically grow their networks while keeping a close eye on operating costs and cashflow.

45 E-Jets entered the region since 2020, including new operators. The E-Jets are now operated under four new liveries such as Bamboo Airways in Vietnam, Alliance Airlines and QantasLink in Australia and Myanmar Airways International in Myanmar.

Regional jets provide airlines the flexibility to place the aircraft on strategically important routes where demand is currently thin. As the situation changes, the airline can scale up capacity by increasing flight frequency or switching to a larger aircraft in its fleet. A multi-fleet strategy, with diverse seat segments, provides the flexibility to adjust capacity to the fluctuations in market demand.

We forecast a global demand of 10,900 new aircraft for the next 20 years in the sub-150 seat segment; 3,060 aircraft, or around 30 percent of the global demand will come from Asia Pacific.

What is the market potential for Embraer jetliners in the Indian market?

Connectivity lies at the heart of the value provided by the aviation sector. We believe that regional jets like Embraer's E-Jets and E-Jets E2 are the perfect fit for India to bring more connectivity to the country. The E-Jets provide the right capacity and cost structure to serve TierII and Tier-III cities throughout the country.

The E195-E2, which is on display at Wings India, ushers a paradigm shift. It offers a low cost per seat making it very competitive with large narrowbody aircraft that are prevalent in India.