Embraer will open an E-Jet passenger-to-freighter conversion line in China, its first outside of Brazil, in cooperation with Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group. A letter of agreement, revealed at the Paris Airshow on Wednesday, will see Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group convert 20 used E190 and E195 passenger jets to freighters during the first phase. The first example will undergo conversion at Embraer’s facility in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group will start the conversions once the Brazilian aviation safety authorities and China have signed off on the certification of the E190F and E195F. 

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer launched its E-Jet conversion program in March 2022 in response to the explosive growth in e-commerce and to bridge the gap between turboprop and narrowbody freighter capacity. “The opportunity in China had a significant influence during the decision-making process of the launch of our P2F program,” noted Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation. Embraer forecasts a market demand for 700 E-Jet freighters over the next 20 years, with China accounting for 34 percent of the global total. Currently, 85 E-Jets fly with Tianjin Airlines, Hebei Airlines, Beibu Gulf Airlines, and Colorful Guizhou Airlines in China.

“We believe the ‘China speed’ in aviation logistics will be an important basis for the sustainable and efficient growth of the Chinese economy,” commented Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group president Chen Zhiqiang. “By cooperating with industry-leading aircraft manufacturer Embraer and introducing E-Jets freighters to China, we’ll fully leverage our domestic strength and competitive advantages to boost China’s air cargo market growth.”

The opening of new P2F capacity aligns with the OEM’s strategy to expand its companywide services and support business, which in 2022 generated $1.3 billion in revenue, accounting for 28 percent of total revenues. In the first quarter of this year, Embraer’s services and support division accounted for 46 percent of total revenues.

Embraer Services & Support also launched the next generation of its aircraft health analysis and diagnosis (AHEAD) system for commercial and executive aviation on Wednesday.  AHEAD measures 12 new reliability trends of aircraft systems for early degradation detection on E2s, predictive capabilities powered with machine learning, and troubleshooting enhancement for flight controls on dispatch. The company will release another update “soon.” More than 1,250 Embraer commercial and executive aircraft use AHEAD worldwide.