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Aerospace and defense contractors created an economic safety net following what could have been devastating fallout from the shuttle program’s end
- Embraer plans a $90 million expansion at Melbourne International Airport to increase business jet production.
- The expansion will enlarge Phenom and Praetor production facilities and add a paint hangar.
- The company aims to invest $500 million in the U.S., potentially creating 2,500 jobs, but expresses concern over U.S. tariffs.
Embraer officials are planning a roughly $90 million expansion at Melbourne Orlando International Airport to boost the Brazilian aviation giant’s business-jet production capacity, company officials revealed this week during a second-quarter earnings call.
“The $90 million investment in our Melbourne facility is aimed at expanding the Phenom 100EX and Phenom 300E production, in addition to enlarging the pre-flight prep area for the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600. It also includes the addition of a paint preparation hangar facility that can accommodate both Phenoms and Praetors,” Embraer spokesperson Lauren Merlino said in an email.
Embraer has generated more than 1,000 jobs and invested more than $155 million on the Space Coast since 2008 during four development phases off Apollo Boulevard at the Melbourne airport. This is the site of the corporation’s North American business-jet-building campus.
Embraer’s Phenom 100EV and Phenom 300E, which can carry up to 11 passengers and crew, are built “nose to tail” in Melbourne.
Merlino said the planned expansion “will support the growth of high-skilled aviation jobs and reinforces our commitment to the local community.”
During the earnings call on Tuesday, Aug. 5, officials announced Embraer reached the highest second-quarter revenue in company history: $1.8 billion.
What’s more, Embraer’s aircraft and services backlog reached a new all-time high of $29.7 billion, including $7.4 billion in the executive aviation division.
Embraer CEO expresses concern over Trump’s tariffs
Embraer’s President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said Embraer is willing to invest $500 million across the United States, which could create about 2,500 jobs. Example: In late June, Embraer opened a new maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Perot Field Alliance Airport Fort Worth in Texas. The company will invest more than $70 million to expand that facility.
However, Neto said, “U.S. tariffs continue to be a major concern to our business.”
“We continue to believe in and advocate firmly for a return to the zero-tariff rule for the global aerospace industry, which was the status quo over the previous 45-plus years,” Neto said of President Donald Trump’s tariffs imposed on Brazil.
In a related development on Florida’s Space Coast, Embraer spinoff Eve Air Mobility has announced plans to roll out full-scale prototype flight testing of its first electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle later this year or in early 2026. These aircraft are electric-powered eight-rotor “air taxis.” Eve’s U.S. headquarters are co-located at the Melbourne airport inside Embraer’s Engineering and Technology Center.
“Embraer’s continued growth is a testament to its commitment to our community and MLB’s continued commitment to Embraer,” Melissa Naughton, the airport’s assistant director of business development and marketing, said in an email.
“MLB prides itself on making sure our tenants’ operations can expand and it is always exciting to see a tenant grow,” Naughton said.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
