São Paulo – Two new jets of the Embraer 170 model were delivered by the Brazilian aircraft manufacturing company to Petro Air, a new division of the Libyan aviation company. The deal, concluded in the first quarter of this year, also includes purchase options for two Embraer 190 aircraft. Initially valued at US$ 66.8 million, the deal may total US$ 146.8 million in case all purchase options are confirmed.
In a release issued by Embraer’s press office, the company’s executive vice-president for the airline market, Paulo César de Souza e Silva, stated that given Petro Air’s special transportation needs, the purchase is a display of trust based on the experience of Sirte Oil, a Libyan company that already operates an aircraft by Embraer.
"It is testimony to the airplane’s suitability and flexibility to adapt to different business environments," he said. "We are very pleased by Petro Air’s selection of the Embraer 170 to play an extremely important shuttle role that is vital to their business,” he claimed.
The two jets are configured in a single-class 76-seat layout. They will join Sirte Oil’s Embraer 170 to be used by the Tripoli-based oil company for transporting personnel to several bases across the country.
“Because of the exceptional performance and reliability of the Embraer 170 operated by Sirte Oil, we decided to acquire these two new aircraft. We expect 2010 to be an extremely dynamic year for us, and these aircraft will play a key role in achieving our success,” said Basem Tantush, general manager of Petro Air, according to a press release.
The relations between Embraer and Libya extend beyond aircraft sales. Embraer is a majority stakeholder in the Portuguese aviation company Ogma, which provides aircraft maintenance services to the Libyan government.
Petro Air
Petro Air is an airline established by the Libyan government. The company was born out of a merger between four aviation departments of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) into one single commercial enterprise. Although it is a new company, its origin dates back to the 1960s, when oil exploration began in the country.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
