KAI SIGNS DEAL TO PROVIDE EMBRAER WITH AEROSTRUCTURE COMPONENTS FOR CIVIL AND MILITARY AIRCRAFT
BRASILIA - Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has signed an agreement with Embraer to provide aerostructure components for both civil and military aircraft. No official announcement has been made yet, but the news has been reported in multiple outlets.
Under the KRW278 billion ($244.8 million) deal, South Korea's aircraft manufacturer will provide wing panels for the Embraer E-190 E2 and E195 E2 commercial airliners and top and bottom fuselage panels for the KC-390 military transport.
With the agreement, KAI now provides components to all four global aircraft manufacturers: Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, and now Embraer.
The announcement is also important for Embraer as it continues to make progress on KC-390 development. The two prototype KC-390s currently flying have accumulated more than 850 flight hours, combined. Performance has met predicted parameters, and both aircraft have had high availability. The Brazilian Instituto de Fomento e Coordenação Industrial (IFI) awarded a provisional type certificate to Embraer for the KC-390 in November 2016, indicating that the KC-390 in its basic configuration complies with certification standards. Initial operational capability (IOC) is expected by the end of 2017 and formal deliveries to the Brazilian Air Force are expected to begin in 2018.