Embraer CEO Frederico Curado expects a fierce battle over the lower end of the narrowbody market between Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier's newly launched C-series.

"The A319/737-700 market is big. I don't think Airbus and Boeing will leave it to Bombardier. If I were them, I would not make that assumption for my business case," Curado told AviationWeek at the Farnborough Air Show in England.

He believes that Bombardier might have been "a bit early" in freezing the design and engine choice, as Airbus, Boeing and Embraer are likely to make a decision on how to develop their product offering. Embraer disputes the 20% efficiency advantage Bombardier claims for the C-series. Curado sees it at only 3% compared to today's Embraer 195. The Brazilian manufacturer expects to improve efficiency in the coming years.

According to Curado, the planned launch aid for the C-series "is a concern for us," but he does not want to "fingerpoint." He "expects the Brazilian government to get access to all necessary information" to be able to determine if the refundable loans are compliant with WTO rules.

Embraer has been analyzing turboprops "with growing interest" in the past 18 months, but is not close to a decision to launch a new aircraft. "We are not sure where the transition from turboprops to jets should be and if a third manufacturer (in addition to Bombardier and ATR) would be viable," Embraer says. ATR has also indicated it is looking at launching a new aircraft.