MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Embraer announces in Paris Air Show orders for 39 E-190 regional jets

The E-190 could also be a member of Delta’s fleet

Brazil’s Embraer announced Monday at the Paris Air Show it had won orders for 39 E-190 regional jets and estimates is has “good chances” of firm orders from US carrier Delta Air Lines, which will likely make a decision to renew its fleet by October.

Embraer is competing to win orders from Delta, which will likely buy as many as 100 new regional aircraft to replace its aging fleet. The U.S. carrier could buy a total 400 planes among large, mid-sized and small jets.

“Our expectation is that Delta decides about all this in October ... they are in talks with everyone” said Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva, head of Embraer's commercial aviation unit.

Souza e Silva's comments highlight Embraer's efforts to defend its market leader position in the regional jet market. Earlier in the day it said it won orders for 39 E-190 regional jets worth 1.7 billion at list prices at the air-show.

Customers include Air Lease Corp, Air Astana, General Electric, Sriwijaya Air and Kenya Airways, Embraer said. The Brazilian company predicted demand for 7,225 regional jets in the next 20 years, worth 320 billion USD.

The world's biggest producer of regional jets is also close to sealing a deal for the sale of six to 10 jets to Republic Airlines, de Souza e Silva said. Talks with Indonesian airline Garuda could produce a firm order within the next three months, he noted.

Among companies competing for the Delta contract are Boeing and Airbus, and Canada's Bombardier -- Embraer's archrival in the regional market.

In related news Rolls-Royce said on Monday it had won an order worth 2.2 billion USD to supply its Trent XWB jet engines to power the Airbus A350 long-haul planes bought by Brazil's TAM airlines.

The contract includes engine maintenance work over a period of 12 years on the 27 A350s ordered by TAM.

The Trent XWB is a new specially designed engine offering 25% better fuel efficiency compared with its predecessors, Rolls-Royce said in a statement at the Paris International Air Show. The latest deal brought the number ordered to more than 1,100 with 36 clients, providing work through to 2020, it added.