Brazilian company Embraer is considering establishing a maintenance center in Mexico, where it already has manufacturing operations.

In June 2024, Mexicana de Aviación placed a historic order. The state-owned airline purchased 20 E-Jets E2 aircraft from Embraer. The package includes 10 E190-E2s and 10 E195-E2s.

Deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 2025. With this purchase, Mexicana will become the first operator of E-Jets E2 in Mexico.

The configuration will be single class. The E190-E2 will have 108 seats, while the E195-E2 will offer 132 seats.

Maintenance center

Embraer is a Brazilian aerospace company specializing in the design and manufacture of commercial, executive, and defense aircraft. It also offers maintenance, repair, and modernization services, ensuring comprehensive support for airline operators in various international markets.

“There is talk that in addition to selling aircraft such as those purchased by Mexicana, they want to introduce a cargo aircraft that competes with the Hercules and, as a result, also set up a maintenance center,” said Miguel Ruiz, president of the Mexico-Brazil Chamber of Commerce (Camebra).

Last week, a group of 28 Mexican businesspeople traveled to Brazil. Most of them were from Querétaro. The business mission, organized by Camebra, aimed to explore opportunities to attract investment from Embraer.

Within this framework, the Brazilian company authorized Fly Across MRO as a service center for executive jets in Mexico. This decision reinforces Embraer’s presence in the domestic market.

Currently, its global maintenance network for executive jets includes eight proprietary centers and 44 authorized centers in the Americas. In total, it has 74 facilities worldwide. In addition, the company continues to expand its capacity in North America.

Manufacturing

In 2012, Embraer announced its first plant in Mexico. The project focused on manufacturing interior components for the E-170 and E-190 regional jets.

The facility was developed in partnership with Zodiac Aerospace, a French firm specializing in aerospace systems and a subsidiary of the Safran Group. Since then, it has been producing interiors for the E-jet family and other high-tech aircraft.

Today, Embraer maintains operations in Mexico with a plant focused on regional aircraft interiors. At the same time, the company is considering expanding into the production of military aircraft, such as the C-390.

In June, Embraer opened maintenance and repair facilities at Perot Field Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. It will operate in an existing hangar while building another for 2027. The investment will be $70 million and will generate 250 jobs.