Embraer E2 jets could form aircraft fleet for new Saudi airline

Embraer got even closer to Saudi Arabia by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the NIDC, the country’s National Center for Industrial Development, and the AHQ Group, which operates in several segments.

The agreement, signed at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, establishes the development of a joint strategy to implement a Saudi aerospace ecosystem.

The Brazilian company’s effort comes amid the country’s government’s strategic plan called Vision 2030, which aims to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy, currently focused on oil exploration.

Embraer’s main focus has been to facilitate the sale of the C-390 Millennium military freighter to the Royal Air Force of Saudi Arabia, even offering an assembly line for the aircraft in the country.

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Embraer, NIDC and AHQ Group (Embraer)

The plan also includes establishing a support and maintenance center for the region, precisely what the Saudi government is most looking for in order to develop the aerospace segment in the country.

The memorandum, however, also opens the opportunity for Embraer to supply E2 commercial aircraft to a new Saudi airline being planned by the AHQ Group.

Illustration of the C-390 in Saudi Arabian colors (Social media)

The company had already announced plans to launch Saudi Gulf Airlines in 2016, when it planned to operate with Airbus A320 jets, but the carrier has not left the ground until today.

According to Embraer, the two companies will “analyze the enormous potential of the E2 family to be the aircraft chosen for a new airline project in the region.”