PM Chinh asks world’s 3rd largest civilian aircraft maker Embraer to expand in Vietnam

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked Brazil’s Embraer S.A, the world’s third largest commercial aircraft manufacturer, to expand its footprint in Vietnam, which has seen a spectacular post-Covid recovery of the aviation market.

On the first day, September 23, of his four-day trip to Brazil, Chinh visited Embraer’s headquarters in Sao Paulo where he was welcomed by Francisco Gomes Neto, president and CEO of the Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation, and offered a tour of its products and cutting-edge production facilities.

The Vietnamese leader expressed his admiration for the safety and environmental friendliness of Embraer’s next-generation aircraft, which could help Vietnamese airlines to expand their fleets.

Highlighting the rapid growth of Vietnam’s aviation industry, Chinh asked Embraer to invest in the company’s business ecosystem in Vietnam, and provide aircraft maintenance and repair services.

In addition, he suggested Embraer train human resources in the aviation industry, offer professional training courses for officials in the Southeast Asian country, and offer technology solutions to enhance local aviation capabilities.

At the meeting, Neto highly valued the Vietnamese market, where its aircraft, particularly for short-haul flights, could be a great fit.

Embraer has delivered five E190 aircraft to Bamboo Airways, the latest privately-run carrier to join Vietnam's already busy aviation market in 2017.

Neto hoped to continue receiving support from the Vietnamese government in terms of market exploration. He expressed willingness to offer technology solutions in the aviation industry and maintenance and repair services for aircraft in Vietnam.

During his stay in New York last week, Chinh met with Boeing executives and suggested that the U.S. aircraft manufacturer expand its supply chain in Vietnam and help local airlines improve maintenance and train their workforces.

After skies were reopened, airliners flew some 55 million passengers in Vietnam in 2022, up 3.7 times year-on-year, representing nearly 70% of the volume in 2019 before Covid-19 broke out, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. In the first half of this year, the number of aviation passengers jumped 49.6% year-on-year to 34.7 million.