Alberto Valerio

Alberto Valerio of UBS Group AG asked if new business jet orders are being priced higher to mitigate tariffs, if there are negotiations on the existing backlog, and if airlines are requesting financial support from Embraer for tariff costs.

Answer

CEO Francisco Neto clarified that commercial jet prices are not being increased, as tariffs are paid by the customer. For business jets, Embraer will maintain competitive pricing to support growth. He stressed that the full-year tariff impact is already included in the guidance and the primary goal is to restore the zero-tariff rule.

Alberto Valerio of UBS asked about the book-to-bill assumption underlying the free cash flow guidance and questioned if Embraer is approaching its maximum production capacity.

Answer

CFO Antonio Garcia confirmed the 2025 plan assumes a book-to-bill ratio of 1:1. CEO Francisco Neto addressed capacity, stating that while they are ramping up production across all divisions, they still have room to grow. He noted they are making disciplined investments to expand capacity for commercial, executive, and defense aircraft in line with their growing backlog.

Alberto Valerio asked about commercial aircraft pricing dynamics and queried the strong year-over-year margin in Executive Aviation, which occurred despite what seemed to be a less favorable delivery mix.

Answer

President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto attributed the Executive Aviation margin strength to a favorable product mix, particularly the high dollar contribution from Praetor jet sales. He stated this should help the division achieve a double-digit EBIT margin for the year, as the absolute dollar value from premium jets boosts overall profitability.

Alberto Valerio of UBS Group AG inquired about the competitive landscape given rising industry capacity and asked for an update on the codeshare partnership with Volaris.

Answer

CEO Pedro Heilbron stated that despite significant industry capacity growth, Copa has competed successfully by leveraging its strong product and low unit costs. Regarding the partnership, he described the Volaris codeshare as a key initiative to connect the large Mexican market with Copa's network, noting it will continue to be developed and expanded.

Alberto Valerio asked if potential Boeing delivery delays for other carriers could create an opportunity for Copa to accelerate its own 737 MAX deliveries.

Answer

CEO Pedro Heilbron stated that they do not see an opportunity to accelerate their aircraft deliveries. He relayed that information from Boeing indicates their delivery schedule remains firm, with no significant pull-forwards expected.

Alberto Valerio questioned if the full-year traffic guidance was conservative given strong January results and asked about the post-pandemic change in passenger mix, specifically the proportion of U.S. travelers.

Answer

CEO Pedro Heilbron explained that January's high ASM growth was an anomaly due to the comparison with the MAX grounding in January 2024. He affirmed the 7-8% full-year growth guidance is based on the back-loaded aircraft delivery schedule. He also confirmed that post-pandemic, there is more U.S. traffic, but yields are now back to 2019 levels, though margins are much stronger due to lower unit costs.

Alberto Valerio asked if a potential 23% operating margin in 2025 would be feasible and recurring, and also inquired about the company's plans for its presence in Argentina.

Answer

CEO Pedro Heilbron declined to provide specific 2025 margin guidance but expressed confidence in consistently delivering industry-leading results. CFO Jose Montero added that the company's low unit cost base makes it fundamentally more efficient and able to sustain strong margins. Regarding Argentina, Heilbron stated it remains a strong, well-covered market, and the company is satisfied with its current capacity deployment there.

Alberto Valerio of UBS Group AG asked for more detail on the new MDP tariff, questioning if the expected increase would be uniform across all airports or if there would be significant divergence among them.

Answer

CEO Ricardo Dueñas Espriu clarified that the anticipated maximum tariff increase is in the low single digits in real terms, not high single digits. He added that while specifics are still being negotiated with authorities, they do not expect a tariff decrease at any airport.

Alberto Valerio from UBS Group AG inquired about Volaris's flexibility to shift capacity between domestic and international routes and asked if the new policy of unbundling airport fees has altered consumer behavior regarding airport choice.

Answer

EVP Holger Blankenstein highlighted that network flexibility is a key competitive advantage, allowing capacity to be deployed to the most profitable routes. He also explained that unbundling airport fees has been a 'net positive,' stimulating demand by showcasing low base fares, with 25-30% of customers opting to pay the fee later.

Alberto Valerio of UBS Group AG asked about Volaris's flexibility to shift capacity between domestic and international routes and inquired about any observed changes in consumer behavior resulting from the unbundling of airport fees from the ticket price.

Answer

Holger Blankenstein, EVP of Airline Commercial & Operations, emphasized that Volaris's guiding principle is deploying capacity to the most profitable routes, giving them flexibility between markets. He noted that unbundling airport fees has been a net positive, stimulating demand with lower visible base fares, with 25-30% of customers choosing to pay the fee closer to their check-in date.

Alberto Valerio inquired about negotiations with airports regarding fees amidst declining yields and asked for an update on discussions to increase slots at Mexico City Airport (MEX).

Answer

Airline Executive Vice President Holger Blankenstein stated that Volaris advocates for fair airport fees that do not exceed inflation. President and CEO Enrique Beltranena commented on MEX slots, saying there is 'nothing concrete' on an increase, but noted that Volaris's own slot position has improved significantly since 2019.

Alberto Valerio of UBS Group AG questioned the Q1 CapEx level, asking if spending would accelerate to meet the new Master Development Program (MDP) goals, and inquired about labor force availability for the projects.

Answer

Executive Raul Musalem explained that the start of a new five-year master plan typically involves a slower ramp-up in the initial months as projects are mobilized. He expressed confidence that the company will meet its full-year CapEx commitment of approximately MXN 13 billion, as major construction projects are now underway.

Alberto Valerio from UBS inquired about the status of negotiations with airlines regarding the significant tariff increases and asked about GAP's M&A appetite for other assets in the Caribbean and South America.

Answer

Executive Raul Musalem clarified that tariff changes are not a direct negotiation but a regulatory procedure. However, he noted that GAP negotiates discount packages with airlines to support new routes, balancing the tariff increase. Regarding M&A, he confirmed GAP continuously evaluates opportunities in the region with a strict discipline of only pursuing accretive deals.

Alberto Valerio requested details on the performance and rebalancing in Colombia and Puerto Rico and asked how traffic at the new Tulum airport has been performing relative to initial expectations.

Answer

Executive Adolfo Castro Rivas praised the performance of both markets, highlighting Puerto Rico's surprising resilience and Colombia's successful recovery after two local carriers ceased operations in 2023. He expects both markets to continue with normal growth trends. The question on Tulum was addressed in a later response.

Inquired about the possibility of sale-leasebacks for recent aircraft deliveries and asked for details on the newly announced government financing program (Fnac), including its conditions related to Embraer orders and timing.

Answer

The recent aircraft deliveries were operating leases, so no sale-leasebacks are applicable. The government's Fnac financing is a separate, positive development expected to be approved in Q3 and disbursed in Q4. Azul's existing Embraer order backlog is sufficient to meet the program's conditions.

Alberto Valerio questioned the future resiliency of U.S. pricing, asking why prices would remain sticky this time if volumes soften, in contrast to previous cycles.

Answer

Executive Lucy Rodriguez asserted that the U.S. market is sold-out, which supports pricing power, and noted that the first price increase of the year is typically successful. Executive Maher Al-Haffar added that an expected easing of interest rates should boost the housing market, which, combined with strong infrastructure and industrial demand in a tight supply environment, provides a solid foundation for continued price resilience.