Ambitious Brazilian manufacturer Embraer is researching new aircraft concepts, pushing sustainability, and exploring urban air mobility.
Reflecting on the aviation sector, Daniel Galhardo, strategy director, Embraer Commercial Aviation, told AIR International: “Over the past years [pre-pandemic] airlines have been focused on high volumes and market share, resulting in lower yields and profit margins, leaving the industry vulnerable to external shocks.”
There has, of course, been no bigger external shock than the COVID-19 pandemic, which Galhardo called “clearly one of the determining factors of the century, and a catalyst for change”.
After production stoppages during 2020 due to lockdowns caused by the pandemic, aerospace manufacturers must cope with the lingering uncertainty about recovery given the emergence of the Omicron variant in late 2021.
Galhardo remains optimistic: “Aviation will recover from the COVID-19 crisis, and airlines with the flexibility to manage the new dynamics in the market will emerge stronger. The industry will return leaner than before and will look for alternatives to go back to profitability while rebuilding connectivity.”
It has always been tricky to make firm predictions a…
