Brazil will add 150 aircraft a year to its 1,500-strong business aviation fleet over the next three years, representing a combined growth rate of 10% and keeping it a leader in the Latin American market along with Mexico and Venezuela.
Speaking at August's Latin American business aviation conference and exhibition in São Paulo, Adalberto Febeliano, executive vice-president of the Brazilian Association of General Aviation (ABAG), said growth in Brazil, a country roughly the size of the continental USA, is being fuelled by the decentralisation of the economy at a time when the ground transport and commercial aviation infrastructure is lagging. Febeliano said only 134 cities out of 5,563 in the country have commercial air services, while there are more than 2,400 legally registered airports that could be available to business aircraft.
ABAG's 10% includes some single-engined piston-powered aircraft as well as helicopters. Within that broader forecast are positive indicators for business jets. Embraer is predicting the region will require a total of 680 executive jets in the next 10 years, adding to the 1,045 jets already in Latin America, which includes Mexico and South America.
This year's LABACE, held at São Paulo Congonhas airport, featured 69 exhibitors, up from 67 two years ago. Thirty-three aircraft were on static display, including those from Embraer, Cessna, Bombardier, Eurocopter, Bell and Dassault. Embraer also brought a full-scale cabin mock-up of its Phenom 300 light jet, set for first deliveries in 2009.
Source: Flight International
