In 1974, the knowledge gained from the Bandeirante led Embraer to begin developing a new aircraft for regional airline service: the pressurized EMB 120 turboprop. Initially named the Araguaia, it was renamed the "Brasilia" in 1979, the year the project was officially launched.
With a capacity of 30 passengers, the EMB 120 Brasilia featured the same T-tail configuration as the Xingu and a supercritical wing profile. It was the first aircraft to utilize the newly developed 1,500-hp PW115 engines from Pratt & Whitney; these, combined with propellers developed by Hamilton Standard, enabled the twin-engine aircraft to reach speeds exceeding 500 km/h. The aircraft also offered amenities such as in-flight air conditioning and low levels of noise and vibration.
The official unveiling and christening of the first prototype took place on July 29, 1983, when the aircraft—featuring a polished aluminum skin specially manufactured by Alcoa—made its maiden flight. The launch was followed with great interest by the specialized international press, as well as representatives from various airlines and aeronautical component manufacturers from around the world. In December of that year, Embraer received the "Marketing Standout" award in the Technological Development category from the Brazilian Marketing Association (ABM), in recognition of the national and international impact achieved with the launch of the Brasilia.
Production of the Brasilia began in late 1984, and it received certification from the then-Technical Center for Aeronautics (CTA) in May 1985. While the Bandeirante began its career in Brazil before being exported, the Brasilia entered service directly abroad. Even before the first delivery, it was already the best-selling aircraft in its category worldwide. The first airline to receive the Brasilia, in 1985, was the U.S.-based Atlantic Southeast Airlines, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
In September of that year, the Brasilia performed its first commercial flight, connecting Gainesville, Florida, and Atlanta. The following year, the Brasilia became the first Brazilian aircraft to be certified in Germany. It entered service in Brazil in January 1988 with the airline Rio-Sul. By 1994, it was already considered the most widely used regional aircraft in the world; at that time, 26 airlines across 14 countries operated a fleet that had logged over three million flight hours.
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