Embraer has showcased its E190-E2 model’s ability to conduct a short runway landing during a demonstration flight in South Korea.
The simulated short runway landing took place over a distance of 1,066m and highlighted the plane’s place as the only narrowbody aircraft that can access a 1,200m runway in all conditions according to Embraer.
Carrying over 80 passengers and holding enough fuel to make an onward journey to Seoul, the aircraft conducted the landing at Pohang Airport in order to showcase its ability to land at the upcoming runway at nearby Ulleungdo Airport.
The new airport, which is scheduled for completion by 2025, will have a 1,200m runway and is expected to cater for 50-seat aircraft, though Embraer’s demonstration has shown the company’s capacity to utilise the runway with larger planes.
Ulleungdo Island, though a popular tourist destination, is only accessible by ferries which are often affected by adverse weather and can take between three to four hours to get to the island.
A ceremony around the demonstration flight also included the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Embraer Commercial Aviation’s CCO Martyn Holmes and the governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, Lee Cheol Woo.
The MoU will see the aerospace company work with South Korea’s largest province on aviation-related issues such as strengthening provincial connectivity.
Embraer’s push to showcase its E190 in South Korea comes shortly after CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said the company was “very bullish about the Chinese market” during an earnings call in March where he highlighted China as a key area for growth.
Neto pinpointed the area after the company recorded a net loss of $185.5m in 2022, an increase of over 400% on 2021’s losses despite an increase in revenue.
South Korea has also specifically been a point of interest for the company in the defence sector thanks to the signing of MoUs with three aerospace industry partners in the country, ensuring the supply of equipment for C-390 Millennium aircraft.
