Embraer will hold the fourth China Regional Aviation Forum (RAF 2017) from August 29-30, in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. Co-hosted by Embraer and the West Airport Group, the theme for RAF 2017 will be "Innovation, Connectivity and The Belt & Road: Taking Regional Aviation to the Next Level."

The event will be attended by over 200 airline executives, heads of trade associations and industry experts, including Embraer executives, who will discuss the challenges and opportunities in China's regional aviation in the context of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

"To date, almost 2,300 Embraer commercial jets have been delivered to more than 100 airlines in 60 countries. We have accumulated a great deal of experience in the successful operation of the E-Jets in developing the regional aviation market. We are always eager to share these experiences and learnings with our Chinese customers. I'm confident this year's Aviation Forum in Yinchuan will again play a key role in allowing us to further deepen our engagement and relationships with the main players in China's regional aviation market", said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation.

The event is being jointly organized by the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China (CAMIC), the West Airport Group's Ningxia Airport Co., Ltd. and the China Civil Aviation Science Popularization Foundation.

Guest speakers from across the globe will share their vision and their insight on critical topics, such as the growth of regional aviation and the outlook on both the global and the Chinese markets, successful business models and case studies in regional aviation, regional airport construction and management, innovation in engine technology for regional jets and aviation financing.

China's main regional airlines will participate in discussions of issues in their operations and explore how to nurture the market to achieve greater profitability with increased passenger volumes and decreased costs.

"China, as the second largest economy in the world, has enjoyed significant improvement in living standards, which has driven demand for aviation. And, as the Belt and Road Initiative progresses, we strongly believe that China's regional aviation will show greater potentials as well as a more rapid growth. Embraer remains committed to China's regional aviation market and aims to increase collaboration with Chinese authorities, customers and industry experts, in order to bring a prosperous future to this market, together," says Guan Dongyuan, Senior Vice President of Embraer and President of Embraer China.

Wang Haipeng, General Manager of Ningxia Airport Co., Ltd. of West Airport Group: "Regional aviation has always been the focus of our company. Till now, apart from the trunk market, Yinchuan has been connected with 18 regional airports. We are delighted to co-host the 2017 China Regional Aviation Forum with Embraer to further develop the regional aviation market in China, together with the elites worldwide during this excellent event."

Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 130 seats. In China, Embraer also leads the regional aviation market in the 70-130 seats jet segment with nearly 80% of the market share. Through July 2017, Embraer has logged 221 firm orders in China (187 commercial and 34 executive jets) and 179 delivered (145 commercial and 34 executive jets). Embraer commercial aircraft currently transports over 17 million passengers per year on more than 370 routes, connecting 130 cities in the country.

Contributed by Embraer