Embraer S.A, a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation, is one of the first stops of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his four-day visit to Brazil starting on September 23.
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer S.A. on Sept 23 local time. Photos: Nhat Bac/VGP |
The Prime Minister and high-ranking delegation were welcomed at Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, by Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of the world's third largest commercial aircraft manufacturer after Boeing and Airbus, and the leading provider of regional jets worldwide.
The time spent at Embraer is within the official visit to Brazil at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Gomes Neto accompanied Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on a tour of Embraer's aircraft lines and cutting-edge production facilities.
He appreciated the Vietnamese market’s potential and how well it fits the company’s available aircraft lines, particularly for short-haul flights with a manageable passenger load.
Neto hopes to continue getting assistance from the Vietnamese government as the company looks for chances to collaborate and grow its market in Vietnam. He said Embraer is prepared to offer technology solutions in the aviation industry and maintenance and repair services for aircraft in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese Prime Minister expressed his high regard for Embraer’s commercial aircraft for safety and environmental friendliness. He believed that Embraer’s new generation of commercial aircraft could offer Vietnamese airlines a way to expand their fleets while ensuring operational efficiency and flight safety.
According to the Prime Minister, the rapid growth of Vietnam’s aviation industry results from the country's rapid socioeconomic development, rising tourism demand, and growing trade and investment. Numerous airlines are in operation in the country.
Chinh suggested that Embraer increase cooperation and investment to create the company’s commercial ecosystem in Vietnam. He expressed optimism for the future of more open aviation trade between Vietnam and Brazil.
The Prime Minister specifically asked Embraer to train human resources in the aviation industry, providing short- and long-term professional training courses for officials, exploring collaboration opportunities, and offering aircraft maintenance and repair services.
Vietnam is expected to receive technical support from the corporation to improve managerial capacity, increase automation, and prevent risk in operations.
| Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Boeing's Vice President Brendan Nelson in New York City on Sept 21 local time. |
Prior to the official visit to Brazil, Chinh met with Boeing, the world’s largest aerospace company, during his trip to the US.
The prime minister recommended that Boeing broaden its operations and supply chain in Vietnam, quickly establish a sizable maintenance facility, and assist airlines in this area. The company is also expected to deepen partnerships with Vietnamese suppliers in the supply chain and promote human resource training and technology transfer. In addition, the Prime Minister requested Boeing to fulfill recently agreed-upon aircraft purchase orders.
The US President’s visit to Vietnam on September 10-11 also sealed Boeing’s order for 50 new 737 MAX planes for national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, costing some billion dollars.
Vietnam’s aviation industry
Vietnamese aviation has been making a steady comeback after being negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The talking numbers in 2022 reflected a spectacular return for the industry. Additionally, optimistic predictions are made for a more stable 2023, when a number of action plans and trends are set up to take off the Vietnamese aviation industry.
In 2022, the air transport market reached 55 million passengers, increasing 3.7 times on year and meeting 69.6% of that in 2019 before Covid-19, in addition to an estimated 1.25 million tons of goods, which is equivalent to 95% of 2021, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Domestic traffic reached 43.2 million passengers, up 3.5 times compared to 2021 and 15.6 % compared to 2019, while the number of international passengers hit 11 million, rising 22 times on year and equivalent to 27% of 2019.
IATA forecast that airlines in Vietnam are likely to generate net profits of US$4.7 billion in 2023.
With significant growth expected, Vietnamese regulators and airlines have established coordinated strategies and policies to achieve long-term growth objectives. The Vietnamese Government is mainly focused on new airport construction and airport improvement projects as it works to accelerate the development of aviation infrastructure to meet the needs of the sector's rapid expansion.
