SAO PAULO: Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA is considering the development of a new turboprop passenger plane, the company said on Thursday, potentially returning to a segment dominated by the Franco-Italian ATR and Canada’s Bombardier Inc.Embraer, the world’s third-largest commercial planemaker, said it recently consulted with airlines about “potential opportunities in the turboprop market,” but added any decision was far off. “It is important to emphasize that Embraer is far from any decision to launch a new turboprop program and the process is in the evaluation phase,” the company said in an emailed statement. Between Bombardier’s Q400 and the market-leading ATR, co-owned by Airbus SE and Leonardo SpA, there are about 100 turboprop airliners made each year. ATR Chief Executive Christian Scherer told reporters in Paris on Wednesday there was limited room in the market for a third Western turboprop manufacturer. Demand was strong in Asia and Latin America and picking up in the United States, he said.

Source: New Strait Times September 14, 2017 23:15 UTC