Jamie Freed and Chen Lin

SINGAPORE, (Reuters) – Embraer is a Brazilian planemaker that will decide whether or not to launch a turboprop plane. It could be in service by 2027. This was the commercial aviation head of Embraer.

Embraer is also in talks with Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce (OTC:) and GE about providing an engine for the plane, with a decision expected in the second half of this year, Embraer Commercial Aviation President Arjan Meijer said.

“It will improve but traditional engine technology on aircraft,” he said to Reuters over the phone at the Singapore Airshow.

However, he declined to discuss how fuel efficiency would compare with existing turboprops in an sector dominated by ATR (a joint venture between Airbus & Leonardo).

De Havilland Canada (the other Western turboprop maker) has delivered all its orders of 8-400 planes. Production is currently being halted. This raises more questions regarding turboprop demand. ATR and De Havilland both use Pratt & Whitney engines.

Meijer claimed that the Embraer turboprop, which Meijer proposed, would be more quiet than current planes. It also has 70- and a 90-seat version. However the bigger one can hold more passengers than ATR72.

While he stated that the program cost estimates of his company could not be disclosed, he added that the company was currently in negotiations with several financial as well as industrial partners.

Chris Cholerton, President of Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, stated that his company is geared toward large aircraft engines and was currently working on a tubropropo engine proposal for Embraer.

He stated that he believed there would be significant fuel savings and thus he was optimistic about the product’s potential.

Rolls-Royce also is conducting an engine study on Boom Supersonic’s 55-seat passenger supersonic jet.

Cholerton stated that Rolls-Royce was still engaged with Boom, but stressed it was a study and not a contract. Also, considerations like the size of market for the Jet had to be considered.

Pratt & Whitney and GE did not respond immediately to a request for comment on Embraer’s turboprop plans.