Embraer Gets Running Start At New Fort Worth MRO Site

Embraer has secured the first maintenance customer for its new MRO facility in Fort Worth, Texas, just two days after the site’s grand opening June 24.

On June 26, Embraer announced a new MRO contract with U.S. regional carrier CommuteAir for its fleet of 59 ERJ145s. CommuteAir also operates E170s and tapped Embraer to provide inventory management and repair services late last year.

The $70 million MRO facility at Perot Field Alliance Airport (AFW) was built to help Embraer increase its services capacity in the U.S. by 53%. The airframer has recently experienced strong demand in its Embraer Services & Support business, reporting a record $4.6 billion backlog last year that it says was driven by long-term contracts with carriers such as CommuteAir.

In its Market Outlook 2025 report, released ahead of the Paris Air Show, Embraer reported that it expects to deliver 2,960 new aircraft between 2025-44, comprised of 2,680 jets and 280 turboprops. Embraer expects to grow its in-service fleet by more than 13% over the next 20 years, growing to 3,230 aircraft in service by 2044 from 2,850 this year.

The AFW facility is Embraer’s thirteenth owned service center. It expects the site to create around 250 new aviation jobs.

In April, Embraer expanded its service center network in Europe by adding Polish MRO provider LOT Aircraft Maintenance Services as an authorized service center for E2 aircraft. The news followed a memorandum of understanding Embraer signed in March to make Poland a center of excellence for its aircraft in Europe. The airframer seeks to ramp up regional capabilities in various areas, including aircraft manufacturing and assembly, maintenance and repair, passenger-to-freighter conversions and electric vertical-take-off-and-landing aircraft. It is also considering a new E-Jet E2 landing gear overhaul facility in Poland.

Embraer was not the only company to add MRO capacity at AFW this week. On June 24th, MTU Maintenance announced a 30-year lease to expand its North American footprint there.

MTU plans to invest $120 million to modernize and upgrade its 43,000 m² (approximately 463,000 ft.²) facility at AFW. The site, which previously went by MTU Maintenance Dallas, will be renamed to MTU Maintenance Fort Worth starting Sept. 1. The company expects the project to add 1,200 new jobs to the area.