Alcoa has entered into a multiyear agreement with the Sao Paulo-based company, Embraer. Alcoa will supply Embraer with corrosion-resistance aluminum sheet alloy and plate for use in Embraer’s new E2, second generation E-Jets family of commercial aircraft. Embraer chose Alcoa’s proprietary alloys for their E2 narrow-body medium-range jet airliner because of the combination of strength, corrosion resistance, and fatigue resistance offered.
The contract, valued at approximately $470 million, makes Alcoa the sole supplier for proprietary wing skins and fuselage sheet. Alcoa plate products are to be used in key applications such as wing ribs, fuselage frames, and other structures. They are also part of the contract and will be featured on the E2 as well as Embraer’s KC-390 military transport aircraft and executive jets.
Alcoa has developed most of the aluminum aerospace alloys to ever take flight, and every major new aircraft program incorporates Alcoa’s product innovations. The Alcoa/Embraer partnership draws on the aerospace manufacturing capabilities of Alcoa’s Global Rolled Products business, supplying Embraer from its plants in Davenport, Iowa, and Kitts Green, United Kingdom.
According to Embraer, the market segment that the new E2 program was designed to serve is projected to require 6350 new aircraft over the next 20 years. Embraer also stated that it has more than 50% market share by orders with the current E-Jet, and expects to maintain similar levels with the new E-Jets E2 aircraft.