Honeywell has signed a new contract with Embraer to certify changes to its avionics system that equips the first generation E-Jets.
The agreement provides for Honeywell to configure and certify the new system with ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil), with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency, equivalent to the United States and the European Union.
With the launch of the new cargo version of Embraer’s E-Jets, Honeywell will have to adapt and modify the avionics system to also support the aircraft’s new cargo operation. “The aircraft’s flightdeck system is already from Honeywell, but now we will have to reconfigure these aircraft to fly in cargo operations. The use and operation profile of a cargo plane is different from a passenger aircraft”, explains Rogério Botelho, Director of Program Development at Honeywell Aerospace for Brazil.
A longtime partner of Embraer, Honeywell is present in several projects of the Brazilian aviation giant. For Rogério Botelho, the signing of this new contract represents not only the extension of the collaboration between the two companies, but also the development of a new scenario in the aviation market. “This new agreement is yet another demonstration of the solidity of our partnership. In addition, it is also a testament to the strength of the cargo aviation sector, which has grown a lot during the pandemic and has kept pace over the last year. Embraer noticed this movement in the market and launched the conversion project”, explains the executive.
Botelho also points to aircraft leasing companies as potential customers for this conversion process. “Our expectation is that these leasing companies will benefit from the growth in demand for cargo aircraft, along with the recovery of the passenger market. As the first generation E-Jets have been on the market since the early 2000s, there are many leasing companies that rely on this aircraft and that will be able to serve cargo customers by converting part of the fleet”, he adds.
Full freighter conversion is available for all E190 and E195 aircraft, with entry into service scheduled for 2024. Embraer estimates a market for aircraft of this size of approximately 700 aircraft over the next 20 years. “We have a team allocated at Embraer headquarters, in São José dos Campos, fully focused on this project. Embraer is making the necessary changes to the aircraft’s structure and other systems, and we, at Honeywell, are working on the avionics system. It is a very important moment, of organic growth of our partnership and business in Latin America”, concludes Rogério Botelho.