Embraer

From the Bandeirante to a global aerospace company

Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace company headquartered in São José dos Campos, São Paulo. Its name is derived from Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica. The Brazilian government formally created the company on 19 August 1969 to transform domestic aeronautical research into serial aircraft production.

The company’s first mission was to complete the development, certification and production of the EMB 110 Bandeirante. The aircraft had originated as Project IPD-6504 at the Brazilian Aeronautics Technical Centre under the leadership of Ozires Silva. Its prototype flew on 22 October 1968, several months before Embraer itself was established.

The Bandeirante was a compact twin-turboprop designed for regional transport, military utility and operation from relatively austere airfields. It became Embraer’s first export success and established the company’s long-running specialisation in aircraft positioned between small general-aviation types and larger mainline airliners.

During the 1970s, Embraer broadened its portfolio. It produced the EMB 326 Xavante jet trainer under licence from Aermacchi, developed the EMB 121 Xingu utility transport and entered agricultural aviation with the EMB 200 Ipanema. A licensing agreement with Piper also led to Brazilian production of several general-aviation aircraft, including versions of the Cherokee, Seneca and Navajo families.

In the early 1980s, Embraer introduced two highly successful aircraft. The EMB 120 Brasilia was a fast 30-seat regional turboprop developed as a larger successor to the Bandeirante, while the EMB 312 Tucano became an influential turboprop military trainer adopted by air forces around the world.

Financial difficulties and a severe aerospace downturn affected the company at the beginning of the 1990s. Embraer was privatised in 1994. The transformation coincided with the development of the ERJ 145 regional jet, which first flew in 1995 and entered service in 1996. The shorter ERJ 135 and ERJ 140 followed, creating a family of 37- to 50-seat regional jets.

The ERJ family restored Embraer’s commercial position and also became the basis for the Legacy 600 business jet and several military special-mission aircraft. The same basic platform supported the R-99 airborne early-warning and remote-sensing family.

During the 2000s, Embraer moved into a larger market with the E-Jet family. The E170, E175, E190 and E195 used a wider four-abreast cabin and underwing engines, distinguishing them from the narrow ERJ 145 architecture. The family became widely used by regional and mainline airlines and established Embraer as the principal manufacturer of commercial jets below the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 classes.

Embraer simultaneously expanded executive aviation. It developed the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 light jets, the Legacy 450 and 500 midsize aircraft, the ERJ-derived Legacy 600 and 650, and the E190-derived Lineage 1000. The Legacy 450 and 500 later evolved into the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 families.

The second-generation E-Jet E2 family introduced new Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, redesigned wings, updated avionics and aerodynamic improvements. The E190-E2 entered airline service in 2018 and the larger E195-E2 followed in 2019. The smaller E175-E2 has flown but has not entered regular airline service.

In defence aviation, the EMB 314 Super Tucano developed the Tucano concept into a modern training and light-attack aircraft. The twin-jet C-390 Millennium created a much larger Embraer platform for tactical transport, aerial refuelling, medical evacuation and humanitarian missions. The aircraft entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019 and has since attracted multiple international customers.

Embraer remains active in agricultural aviation through the Ipanema, including ethanol-powered versions. The company also participates in new mobility and technology initiatives while retaining its principal businesses in commercial aviation, executive jets, defence and security, and services and support.

Embraer aviation timeline

Embraer commercial-aircraft families

Embraer executive-jet families

Embraer defence and special-mission aircraft

Agricultural and licence-built aircraft

How the Embraer aircraft families connect

Embraer aircraft detected by howmany.travel

howmany.travel combines aircraft reference material with aircraft identified from Mode S, ADS-B and related radio transmissions. Embraer aircraft appear under several naming systems, including EMB designations, ERJ commercial names, E-Jet marketing names and military service designations.

Monthly Embraer detection logs

Embraer aircraft models

Each model name links to the corresponding howmany.travel family page. Historical programmes are separated from modern aircraft that remain operational, supported, in production or in active development. Delivered figures are completed production totals or current family estimates; approximate figures are marked accordingly.

Historical aircraft models

Modern and current aircraft models

Approximate delivered figures combine related production variants where Embraer and regulatory records do not publish one continuously updated family total. Production-list pages can provide serial-level reconciliation.

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Editorial notes

• Embraer’s official history identifies 19 August 1969 as the company’s creation date and the Bandeirante as its first industrial mission.
• Current Embraer material states that more than 9,000 aircraft have been delivered since the company was founded.
• howmany.travel is independent of Embraer S.A.

Embraer designations are not always uniform across regulatory, military and airline databases. Model pages should include EMB numbers, marketing names, ICAO type codes and important military designations wherever applicable.