Mary Kirby, Philadelphia (03Feb11, 21:30 GMT, 154 words)
Embraer continues to await a decision from China on whether it will be permitted to assemble its E-190 at the Chinese assembly plant that produces ERJ-145s.
The Brazilian airframer "made a proposal to the Chinese government to assemble our Embraer 190s there but no response has been given at this point," an Embraer spokeswoman confirmed earlier this week.
For several years, Harbin Embraer produced ERJ-135/140/145 regional jet aircraft in Harbin, China. But demand for small-sized regional jets dried up, and Embraer warned in 2010 that it might need to close the plant.
"Our last ERJ-145 will be delivered by the end of the first quarter and there are no further orders for this aircraft so logically we will need to have a decision by then," says the Embraer spokeswoman.
Chinese firm Comac is developing the 150-seat C919 commercial aircraft as well as the 90-seat ARJ21, which will compete with Embraer's E-Jets.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news