It’s no secret that Boeing has been in the news recently. Consequently, news of an Embraer rival for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 landed at an opportune time. However, the South American aircraft manufacturer has other plans for its airplanes. 

Embraer denied claims it will enter the 150+ seat aircraft market to rival the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families

Aircraft nerds, pilots, and enthusiasts were surprised to hear rumors that Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, had plans to produce an aircraft to rival the famed Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

However, if Embraer is actually planning a rival airframe for the Boeing 737 MAX, it’s a secret or we won’t see it for a while. According to Reuters, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer denied rumors that it will build a 150+ seat aircraft. As such, we don’t expect to see an Embraer narrow body to take on Airbus and Boeing anytime soon. Instead, the company will remain focused on regional aircraft, like its E2 family of airplanes.

“Embraer certainly has the capability to develop a new narrowbody aircraft. However, we have a young and very successful portfolio of products developed in recent years, and we are really focused on selling those products and making Embraer bigger and stronger,” one of the company’s spokespeople told Reuters.

Of course, we’re not saying the Boeing 737 family of airframes is unsafe. However, some recent press has been, well, less than stellar. For instance, United Airlines flight 1118 experienced a burning engine that caused alarm and terror for passengers. Furthermore, on yet another United Airlines flight, a 737 MAX 8 rolled off the tarmac and onto the grass at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

However, Embraer isn’t the only manufacturer with the potential to enter the 150+ seat aircraft market. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) wants its 164-seat C919 jet to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 in foreign markets.