Brazil’s state-controlled postal company, Correios, and Embraer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct joint studies to advance the optimisation and expansion of the Brazilian and international air networks for large cargo and goods.

The firms state that the strategic partnership will seek to increase Correios’ efficiency in air transport, reduce operational costs compared to other modes, and evaluate challenges and opportunities for new business models involved in Embraer platforms, such as the E-190F, E-195F, and C-390 Millennium.

Fabiano Silva dos Santos, president of Correios, said: “With this partnership, we will be able to bring more efficiency to our logistics network and thus benefit the Brazilian population, which is our greatest mission as a public company and representative of the federal government.

“We are the largest air cargo operators in the country; no other logistics company has even half the airlines and cargo handled by Correios.”

Bosco da Costa Junior, president and chief executive of Embraer Defense & Security, said: “We are very pleased to collaborate with Correios in studying a more efficient logistics network for the transport of goods, both in Brazil and internationally.

“Embraer has a consolidated aircraft portfolio, and the solutions to be studied together will allow Correios to expand its service offering to its customers with high reliability and efficiency.”

Embraer says it is on schedule to complete its first conversion from E-Jet to a cargo version of the aircraft, having already completed the first flight test.

Embraer currently has two contracts for converting up to 20 E-Jets into freighters.