Aircraft manufacturer Embraer seeks comprehensive aviation partnership with Vietnam

Embraer, the world’s third-largest aircraft manufacturer has expressed its desire to strengthen comprehensive cooperation and discuss strategic partnerships with Vietnam in the near future.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Embraer's Global Vice President Jose Serrador. Photo: Nhat Bac

Embraer's Global Vice President Jose Serrador shared this view during a meeting with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 17.

According to Serrador, the focus includes developing routes such as Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City and Con Dao, cooperation in defense trade, and showcasing its products at the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024.

Chinh added that Vietnam is exploring new development areas, including outer space, underground, and maritime areas. With its strategic geographical location, Vietnam is well-positioned for aviation development, covering a region that accounts for about 60% of the world's GDP  within about 5 hours of flight.

Furthermore, the global demand for aviation, including in Vietnam, is expected to grow, as incomes and living standards rise. As such, Vietnam aims to become an aviation hub and strengthen cooperation with partners, including Embraer, said Chinh.

The Prime Minister encouraged Embraer to provide consultations on aviation development in Vietnam and to continue discussions with Vietnamese partners to pursue concrete collaborations, such as commercial contracts.

He also proposed that Embraer assist Vietnamese airlines in developing sustainable fleets, improving operational efficiency, ensuring flight safety, and building training centers for personnel, pilot training, and maintenance facilities. Additionally, Embraer could collaborate on technology transfer, airport construction, and operations, research and investment in Vietnam, and expand cooperation in areas such as defense trade, search and rescue, and disaster relief.

Embraer, the world's third largest commercial aircraft manufacturer after Airbus and Boeing, produces three main types of aircraft: narrow-body jets, military aircraft, and personal/business jets.

In Vietnam, Bamboo Airways operated five Embraer aircraft from 2020 to 2023. Embraer is continuing talks with local partners to expand its cooperation in Vietnam.

On the same day, the Prime Minister also met with Celso Nunes, Director of Innovation at Alterosa Group, which provides payment solutions, smart cards, and fintech services. The Prime Minister encouraged Alterosa to broaden its cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in digital security authentication and smart card technologies.

In a separate meeting with Marcio Rodrigues, CEO of JBS, SEARA's parent company, the Prime Minister urged the company to visit Vietnam to explore cooperation opportunities, expand the supply chain, and bring Vietnamese agricultural products to Brazil and global markets. He also suggested investing in factories in Vietnam in areas such as leather production, manufacturing, and meat processing and export.

SEARA is Brazil's leading meat producer and the largest producer of industrial chicken meat. It merged with JBS, the world's largest producer of animal-based foods, in 2013.

The Prime Minister also met with  Roger Zen, Chairman and CEO of Oceanside One Trading, a leading trading group in the Americas, who expressed the company's intention to continue importing goods from and exporting goods to Vietnam.

Vietnam and Brazil established diplomatic relations in 1989 and a comprehensive partnership in 2007. In 2023, their bilateral trade reached approximately $7.11 billion, with US$5.8 billion achieved in the first nine months of this year. The Vietnamese community in Brazil numbers around 300 people, most of whom live in Sao Paulo.