Gulf Times- Brazilian planemaker Embraer, the world�s biggest maker of regional jets, said it�s optimistic that a US government led by Donald Trump will still grant it the clearances needed to sell aircraft to Iran.

While Airbus Group and Boeing Co have already sealed deals to supply a range of jetliners to Iran after obtaining licences under the Barack Obama administration, Embraer is in the final stages of order talks, chief executive officer Paulo Cesar de Souza e Silva said in an interview.

�There is a lot of uncertainty now regarding this new administration,�� Silva said last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. �But I believe in general terms Mr Trump is a businessman. He is very pragmatic and he is for business. So we hope things won�t change too much.��

The US is able to block plane exports to Iran from foreign manufacturers even after the easing of international sanctions because of the high American content of most aircraft. Embraer�s current models use General Electric Co engines, while Pratt & Whitney powerplants will feature on new versions.

Embraer is aiming to meet Iran�s requirement for jets with 130 seats or fewer after Airbus won orders for 98 bigger aircraft and Boeing secured a deal for 80. The Mideast country is initially looking to take at least 20 E195 jets worth more than $1bn at list prices, senior Brazilian officials said last year. Silva didn�t specify how many orders his company is targeting.

Development of Embraer�s E2 second-generation regional jets and the KC-390 military transport is �100% on time,� Silva said. The final 190-E2 test plane is due to fly next month and both it and the KC-390, designed to replace Lockheed Martin Corp�s C130 Hercules, should win certification this year.

Silva said Embraer�s decision last week to start a road show ahead of the possible sale of 10-year, dollar-denominated bonds reflects a �window of opportunity� presented by a �very liquid� market, while declining to provide further details of the sale.

The worst may also be over for Brazil�s wider economy following an 8% contraction in the past 2 1/2 years, Silva said. President Michel Temer, who took over after Dilma Rousseff�s impeachment, is �taking the right steps,� with lower inflation and a drop in interest rates suggesting the recovery process is �going forward,� he added.