By Gabriel Araujo
RIO DE JANEIRO, June 6 (Reuters) - Some airlines are delaying decisions on whether to exercise aircraft purchase options amid uncertainties related to the war in Iran, which has pushed up jet fuel prices, Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto told Reuters on Saturday.
While the Brazilian planemaker has not seen requests to defer deliveries or a slowdown in active sales campaigns, Gomes Neto noted caution was emerging around 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 on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association's annual summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Embraer's commercial backlog spans nearly five years of deliveries, and the company continues to pursue multiple sales campaigns for its E2 family, hoping to clinch some deals at the Farnborough Airshow in the United Kingdom next month.
Embraer aims to build on recent deals, including agreements with Finnair for 18 aircraft and lessor Azorra for 15, after a strong 2025. It believes the E2's fuel efficiency can boost demand for the family.
"There are several campaigns under way," Gomes Neto said, adding the timing of potential deals depends largely on customers. "I don't know if it will be as strong as last year, but it should still be a good year for commercial aviation."
Embraer continues to target a step-up in output, with an internal ambition to deliver between 95 and 100 commercial aircraft in 2027. The outlook for this year stands between 80 and 85 planes.
Gomes Neto stressed that the goal depends more on supply chains becoming smoother than on geopolitical tensions, such as the war in Iran, being resolved.
But bottlenecks that have affected the industry since the pandemic are gradually improving, he said.
"It's about getting the cadence right," he added.
Embraer also aims to improve margins in its commercial aviation unit. Gomes Neto said the firm has renegotiated some older contracts that carried lower profitability and expects stronger demand for new deals to support better pricing.
(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, editing by Manuela Andreoni, Rod Nickel)
