The aircraft, which will be produced by its subsidiary Eve, will look like a little helicopter and have room for up to six passengers.

A journey is expected to cost between USD 50 and USD 100 per person.

According to Eve, it has orders for about 3,000 air taxis already.

In 2023, Embraer has a plan of putting together a prototype. According to a timeline recently given by US regulators, Air taxis might start flying there as early as 2025.

The electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft won’t require a runway and can fly far like an aeroplane. Also, electric motors will reduce noise and pollution compared with standard planes.

According to experts, the aircraft might ease traffic in busy cities without costing too much to passengers. They have also been considered as a cargo transportation alternative.

The facility will be constructed in Taubate, a city located 140 kilometres (87 miles) from Sao Paulo.

According to the AFP news agency, drone-like passenger cars would initially be utilised in taxi fleets.

Meanwhile, according to reports, Brazil’s 99 ride-hailing service intends to increase the number of EVs in its fleet, with a goal of 1,000 in the following 12 months. The action is a commitment made by the corporation to the Alliance for Sustainable Mobility.

Eleven companies are a part of the collaboration, including energy company Raizen, automobile rental company Movida, and Banco BV.

The ride-hailing company, which competes with Uber in Brazil and is owned by China’s DiDi, ended its first year of cooperation with 485 electric vehicles using its platform in Sao Paulo.

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Airbus is Europe’s largest planemaker. It increased its controlling stake in Bombardier’s A220 regional jet programme. Initially, Airbus had teamed up with the Quebec government to acquire 33.5 percent stake in the A220 regional jet programme. Now Airbus plans to increase its acquisition to 75 percent. This in turn is anticipated to increase Airbus’ market presence and boost competition with Boeing.

The A220 was previously known as the CSeries. According to Bombardier, the sale would help the company to revive from the money crunch in 2015 and improve its financial stability. The stake acquisition will help Bombardier to reform its capital structure and close its exit from commercial aviation, media reports said.

Bombardier remains Embraer’s major regional rival. Aengus Kelly, chief executive of leasing giant AerCap, told the media, “Now you have got the heavyweight boxer in the ring with someone who is about seven divisions lighter — there is only one outcome. I think it’s a must: if Embraer doesn’t do it, it’s likely that Airbus will corner part of the narrowbody market which will be poor for the consumer.”

The European Union is expected to start an investigation into the Boeing-Embraer deal next week as soon as the necessary data is received, media reports said.

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The 11-seat cabin delivers luxurious comfort with a partitioned cabin for privacy, a full service galley, plus a 6-passenger sleeping configuration for overnight travel. The GIV also incorporates complete business amenities both Gogo inflight Wi-Fi and Aircell satellite phone with three handsets to ensure productivity from 45,000 feet.

“The GIV is the ultimate airborne office, combining premium comfort, and the tools to conduct business both domestic and abroad, with Silver Air’s unmatched service,” said Chuck Stumpf, Silver Air President of Business Development. “Through our PURE Jet Management program, Silver Air continues to deliver an innovative and transparent solution to jet owners based on our key fundamentals of advocacy, process and people.”

Unlike traditional jet management companies that act as multiple service providers, Silver Air does not profit from selling fuel, maintenance, hangers or other fixed costs back to jet owners. Instead, Silver Air expertly manages the multiple service vendors on the owner’s behalf ensuring a cost effective and transparent relationship.

Silver Air manages and operates privately owned aircraft from bases throughout the United States. Silver Air is the only operator to offer unrestricted charter availability on a Boeing Business Jet. Silver Air’s fleet features other light to large-cabin jets from Gulfstream, Dassault, Bombardier, Embraer, Cessna, and Hawker/Beech.

Silver Air’s charter operations have earned an ARGUS Platinum rating and the company is currently IS-BAO stage two compliant, demonstrating the industry’s highest safety practices. Silver Air is also a member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation.

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Think of a ton of soybeans being transported from the fields of Mato Grosso do Sul – a state neighboring Paraguay – to the ports of Santos or Paranaguá, around 1,200km away. When it finally gets to the shipping point, the produce, one of Brazil’s most important export items, will have lost a big share of its value.

“Transporting by road takes long and can cost as much as US$ 120 a ton, while by ship the costs are three times lower,” says José Augusto de Castro, president of the national Foreign Trade Association, which represents 250 companies. “Brazil’s food exporters can still handle these burdens, but I don’t know for how much longer.”

Castro’s case summarizes much of the challenges faced by Brazilian entrepreneurs and described on a recent report, Brazilian exports – Climbing down a competitiveness cliff. The study, which examines in detail Brazil’s performance over the past 15 years, was carried out by Brazilian economists Otaviano Canuto, José Guilherme Reis, and Matheus Cavallari.

“The main message is that even though Brazil’s exports increased at almost twice the global rate between 2000 and 2010, they still lack competitiveness,” says Canuto, Vice President of World Bank’s Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network.

Losing ground

“Brazil benefited from a high global demand for commodities, such as minerals (which, at 25.2%, accounted for the largest share of all exports) and food products. But if it weren’t for that, the country wouldn’t have performed so well,” explains Canuto.

The expansion looks even less stellar when compared to Russia’s, India’s, China’s, and South Africa’s. On average, exports in these emergent countries grew by 439% over the same period. “Brazil still needs more investments in infrastructure (ports, airports), logistics, and education – which would ensure a better-skilled workforce,” says Matheus Cavallari.

In addition, the study points to the need for more investment in machinery and software. And also for deeper economic interventions to reduce costs and paperwork, while boosting Brazilian productivity – a tax reform, for example. Nowadays taxes account for around 35% of Brazil’s GDP.

Brazil benefited from a high global demand for commodities, such as minerals and food products. But if it weren’t for that, the country wouldn’t have performed so well.

A national champion

Another finding  in the study is a clear reduction in the share of high-technology products – from 10.4% to 5% over the same decade. Again, other emergent markets managed to surpass Brazil. “High-technology exports in 2000 were three times larger than India’s; currently the value of Brazil’s exports is equivalent to 80% of India’s,” says Cavallari.

“This is worrisome because in commodity markets prices and demand are set by buyers; with manufactured and high-technology products, it’s the other way round,” explains José Augusto de Castro.

“It’s important to make more investments in research and innovation because technology exports comprise not only equipment, but also design, for example. Embraer, which is a huge technology exporter, is Brazilian; we need a thousand more companies like it”, he concludes.

Source: World Bank

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