MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil's Embraer sells 30 jets to US airline

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has sold 30 E-175 regional jets to Republic Airlines Inc., its first sale of the jet to the US market, Embraer said in a statement.

Deliveries of the 86-seat jets will start in 2007, Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, or Embraer.

Republic now has 78 firm orders and 75 options for Embraer's E-jet series.

Embraer in recent years has specialized in regional commercial jets of 30 to 120 seats, a class in which neither US manufacturer Boeing nor its European rival Airbus competes. However, sales have slowed as US and European airlines suffer from intense competition and rising fuel costs.

"The introduction of another member of the E-Jets family, the Embraer 175 into the US domestic market, represents an important validation of our strategy of providing airlines with flexibility to match demand with the right aircraft size," Federico Fleury Curado, an Embraer executive vice-president, said.

US Airways originally had a purchase option on the 30 jets, but agreed to transfer the purchase rights to Republic Airlines. The Brazilian aircraft maker said the deal had not affected US Airways firm order for 25 of its twin-engined 195 jets, and options on a further 32 190s.

Embraer is now seeking to cash in on the fast expansion of the executive jet market, which grew 27 percent in 2005.