RIO DE JANEIRO, June 6 - Embraer said on Thursday that a number of airlines are postponing decisions to exercise aircraft purchase options as uncertainty stemming from the war in Iran pushes jet fuel prices notably higher. The comments came from CEO Francisco Gomes Neto on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association's annual summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Gomes Neto told Reuters that while Embraer has not received formal requests to delay aircraft deliveries and has not seen a slowdown in its active sales campaigns, some airlines are exercising more caution when it comes to additional, incremental commitments. "Some companies that could be exercising previously signed options are leaving that a bit further ahead to better understand how the situation will evolve," he said.
The company thus far has not registered changes to delivery schedules or a reduction in the pace of ongoing sales activity, but the CEO's remarks underscore a gap between committed fleet expansion and near-term option activity. The higher cost of jet fuel, tied in the CEO's remarks to the geopolitical tensions in Iran, is the specific uncertainty he cited as prompting airlines to reconsider the timing of option exercises.
Gomes Neto's comments were made in the context of the industry's conversation at the IATA summit, where airline executives and manufacturers are assessing how current events are affecting operational costs and purchasing behavior. Embraer's description of postponements pertains specifically to decisions on exercising options rather than to executed orders or scheduled deliveries.
In sum, Embraer sees emerging caution around incremental aircraft commitments as carriers weigh fuel-price pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. The company continues to report no formal delivery deferrals or a slowdown in active sales engagement, even as some option holders choose to delay final decisions to obtain greater clarity on how conditions will develop.
Contextual note - The statements quoted and summarized above were provided by Embraer's CEO while attending the industry summit in Rio de Janeiro. They reflect the company's current observations about customer behavior regarding option exercises and do not indicate any confirmed changes to deliveries or existing sales campaigns.