Embraer and Avic subsidiaries Harbin Aviation Industry and Harbin Hafei Aviation Industry will “phase out” their Chinese joint-venture company Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry (HEAI) after 13 years of manufacturing and delivering commercial and executive jets in China, the companies announced on Wednesday. The Harbin plant’s last aircraft delivery—a Legacy 650—occurred in March.
Embraer ERJ-145 regional airliners and, later, Legacy 650 business jets were assembled in Harbin, using subassemblies shipped from Embraer’s facilities in Brazil. More than 40 ERJ-145s were assembled in China from 2004 to 2010, and five Legacy 650s were built there from 2012 to this year.
“Embraer remains fully committed to and will continue to serve the Chinese commercial and executive aircraft markets,” Embraer said. “Embraer has enjoyed an excellent relationship with its Chinese joint-venture partners over the last decade and looks forward to other opportunities [for] collaboration…to contribute to the continuous development of civil aviation in China.”
To date, Embraer has logged 224 firm orders in China, including 188 commercial jets and 36 executive jets. Thus far, it has delivered 166 aircraft to Chinese customers.