This week, when Embraer revealed that negotiations are underway concerning the pace at which Hainan Airlines' regional subsidiary Grand China Express will take Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets, I asked the following obvious question: "What does this mean for the airframer's Chinese JV Harbin Embraer, which produces the E-145?"
Mauro Kern, Embraer executive VP - airline market, who is about to board a flight, has just exclusively revealed that production at the facilities in Harbin "has not ceased at all".
"Grand China Express requested to slow down deliveries, in order to reduce the growth rate of the ERJ-145 fleet. The JV is in the process of negotiating a new delivery schedule with Grand China Express, which has not yet come to a final decision," says Kern.
He adds: 
"The ERJ-145 firm orders (covering 50 aircraft) is expected to remain unchanged, with a possible extension of the delivery stream beyond 2010 (current plan)."
Ten ERJ-145s of the original 50-strong order have already been delivered with 40 remaining.
Kern reiterates that there is no change to the Embraer 190 delivery schedule for Grand China.
(Photo at right - delivery to Grand China of Embraer's 1,000th ERJ-145)
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