Embraer backlog hits record $35.7 billion on E2 orders and defense surge

Embraer closed the third quarter of 2026 with a record company-wide backlog of $35.7 billion, up 3% from the previous three months, the Brazilian manufacturer announced on October 23, 2026.

The number, the highest in the company's history, rests on three pillars: a commercial aviation arm that logged 36 firm E2-family orders in the quarter, an Executive Aviation division at a record $8.2 billion, and a Defense and Security backlog that jumped 56% against the same period of 2025 to reach $6.1 billion.

Embraer described the quarter as one of "strong commercial activity," anchored by sizeable firm E-Jet orders from two airline groups: Abra Group, the Latin American holding behind Avianca and Gol, and Japan's ANA Holdings.

Alongside the 36 firm orders, the commercial division booked 30 purchase rights or options across the E2 family — paper that converts into delivery slots only if the carriers exercise it, but which signals demand beyond the signed contracts.

What drove the executive aviation record?

The Executive Aviation division's $8.2 billion backlog grew 5% quarter on quarter, and the period carried two concrete milestones: the launch of the Phenom 300EV and delivery of the first Praetor 600E to launch customer Flexjet.

The fractional operator's handover marks the entry into service of a type Embraer is counting on to hold its position in the super-mid-size segment, where it competes against Bombardier's Challenger 3500.

Why did the defense backlog jump 56%?

The steepest growth came from Defense and Security. In August 2026, the Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana (FAC) ordered two KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft in a deal worth around $366.4 million — roughly $183 million per airframe.

That order feeds a military transport backlog that now stands at 43 firm KC-390 Millennium orders, supplemented by 25 firm orders for the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft. The Colombian sale extends a customer base that has been the program's growth engine beyond Brazil's own air force.

How do deliveries track against guidance?

Backlog measures promise; deliveries measure execution. Nine months into 2026, Embraer has handed over 52 commercial aircraft against a full-year target of 80 to 85 — roughly 63% of the midpoint with a quarter to run.

Executive Aviation has delivered 115 aircraft so far this year, with the company aiming for between 160 and 170 by December 31. That puts the division at roughly 69% of the midpoint of its own range.

Combined across commercial and executive jets, Embraer says it has delivered approximately 67% of full-year guidance, which was set at between 240 and 255 aircraft for 2026. Hitting the lower bound of that range requires roughly 79 more deliveries in the fourth quarter — the industry's traditional push period, when OEMs concentrate handovers to close out the year.

The gap between a record backlog and a two-thirds-complete delivery target frames Embraer's fourth quarter: the order book secures revenue years out, but the 2026 guidance will be judged on what leaves the factory floor in São José dos Campos before December 31.

If the fourth-quarter push lands inside the guided ranges, the company will enter 2027 with the largest order book in its history and a delivery base rising to meet it.