Embraer
The ascent for Embraer was never straight. The company was born from a project by the Brazilian government to reinvent regional aviation and since then morphed into a $6.3 billion global aviation leader. Its private-jet division has an impressive cast of celebrity clients like rapper Travis Scott and actors Jackie Chan and Tyler Perry.
The world’s third-largest producer of civil aircraft, including some of the most sophisticated business jets, is based in São José dos Campos, Brazil.
Embraer’s story began in 1950, when the Brazilian government created an institute to train students in the fast-growing field of aeronautical engineering. A government challenge to build viable commuter aircraft followed, resulting in an historic collaboration between graduates Ozires Silva (Embraer’s founder) and French engineer and designer Max Holste more than a decade later. The result was the first flight of a light turboprop in 1969 called the Bandeirante, and Embraer was born.
This early work and prototype success of the Bandeirante emerged into a series of larger regional commuter aircraft, including the ERJ and E-Jet families medium-range airliners. As Embraer matured, its commercial and military segments grew, too, to account for the majority of its aircraft. It is designing some very interesting regional airliners.
It wasn’t until 2000 that Embraer truly entered the business-aviation market with its super mid-size business jet, the Legacy 600. Since then, it has designed and built some of the world’s best-selling and popular business jets. Now, its spinoff subsidiary, Eve, is developing electric aircraft for the eVTOL segment.
Here are nine of our favorites.
-
Legacy 600
Image Credit: Embraer In 2000, Embraer officially entered the business-jet segment by unveiling its super mid-sized Legacy 600 with a nonstop range of just over 3,000 nautical miles. Based on the success of the regional airliner ERJ 135, the Legacy 600 was plenty spacious, too, for up to 13 passengers with a fully equipped galley, reclining luxury seating, a conference area with four seats, a three-seat divan, and a well-appointed stateroom. The jet also includes a lavatory in the aft. In 2009, the company unveiled its next iteration, the Legacy 650, with a longer range (3,900 nautical miles) and spacious six-foot headroom in the cabin. The 650E followed in 2018 with a maximum operating speed of Mach .80, or 613 mph. Production of the Legacy 600 series stopped in 2020, with a fleet of 289 aircraft operating worldwide.
-
Legacy 500
Image Credit: Embraer With a range of 3,125 nautical miles and a top speed of Mach .83, or 637 mph, the $20 million Legacy 500 is Embraer’s smaller and faster mid-size executive jet with fly-by-wire controls to enhance safety and pilot workload. Famous owners include Jackie Chan. Its flat-floor design gives passengers six feet of headroom, including fully reclining executive seating and an enclosed lavatory. Large windows and advanced soundproofing were also included in this clean-sheet design aircraft. The Legacy 500 entered service in 2014 and netted four world speed records in 2015. In 2020, Embraer ceased aircraft production to focus on the Phenom 100, Phenom 300, Praetor 500, and Praetor 600.
-
Phenom 100EV
Image Credit: Embraer Launched in October 2024, this six- to eight-passenger Phenom 100EV is the latest iteration in the successful Phenom 100 series, which now has more than 400 aircraft in operation worldwide. Certified for single-pilot operation, the Embraer Phenom 100EV is a clean-sheet design that combines advanced avionics and safety features into one of the most cost-efficient very light jets currently available. This sporty twin-engine biz jet has a maximum speed of 467 mph and a range of 1,178 nautical miles. Enhancements in the cockpit include the Garmin Prodigy Touch flight deck, FlightStream 510, synthetic vision system, emergency descent mode, stabilized approach, predictive wind shear, automatic 3-D volumetric scanning for lightning and hail protection, and a runway awareness and overrun alert system. Oh, and it has the largest windows in its class.
-
Phenom 300
Image Credit: Embraer The Embraer Phenom 300 is the world’s best-selling light jet, with a fleet of 744 worldwide. This nine- to 11-passenger aircraft is certified for single-pilot operation. Built from a clean-sheet design and first introduced in 2009, this twin-engine cantilever, swept-wing monoplane has a range of 1,971 nautical miles and a maximum speed of 598 mph. In 2020, Embraer introduced an upgraded 300L with stronger thrust, a top cruise speed of Mach .80, or 613 miles per hour, and range up to 2,010 nautical miles. The cabin features club seating with a recessed aisle and rotating seats.
-
Praetor 500
Image Credit: Embraer This mid-size Praetor 500 is loaded with the latest avionics, compact head-up display, synthetic and enhanced vision systems, and full fly-by-wire for active reduction in turbulence. This jet has a high-speed cruise of Mach .83, or 636 mph, which is considered the fastest in its class. With its maximum range of 3,340 nautical miles, it can fly nonstop from Miami to Seattle. With seating from seven to nine passengers, this jet’s flat-floor design creates a spacious interior with a six-foot-tall cabin height and the widest cabin in its class, measuring six feet, 10 inches.
-
Praetor 600
Image Credit: Embraer This super mid-size Praetor 600 nonstop from New York to Paris, with an endurance rating of seven hours and 45 minutes and a maximum range of 4,018 nautical miles. This aircraft features a roomy cabin with fully articulating leather seats, stowable workstations, forward club and divan cabin arrangements, a wet galley, a fully enclosed aft lavatory, touchscreen cabin controls, and advanced entertainment and Wi-Fi systems, including Gogo Avance L5 and Ka-band. Novel appointments include an active-turbulence reduction system.
-
Lineage 1000
Image Credit: Embraer Introduced in 2009, the 19-passenger Lineage 1000 is the largest business aircraft in Embraer’s fleet. Originally adapted from the company’s 190 regional jet airliner, the Lineage 1000 was designed with a roomy cabin interior that could be divided into five sections, including a primary suite, lavatory, and walk-in cargo area. In 2013, Embraer unveiled its latest iteration, the Lineage 1000E, which extends range to 4,600 nautical miles with upgrades to its entertainment and avionics. The jet had a maximum speed of Mach .82, or 629 mph. Due to limited orders for this aircraft, Embraer discontinued production in 2020.
-
C-390-MILLENNIUM
Image Credit: Embraer Embraer’s medium-sized military transport, called the C-390 Millenium, is a multi-mission transport has a variety of uses including aerial refueling, remote and automatic release of cargo, search and rescue, firefighting, or transport of military vehicles, troops, or equipment. Development of C-390 began in 2009 as a replacement for Brazilian Air Force’s aging fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft. With maximum speed of Mach .80, this aircraft can transport up to 80 soldiers or 66 paratroopers. The jet can accommodate a variety of payloads, including Humvee or a Sikorsky H-60. The C-390 has been adopted by the Brazilian Air Force and continues to gain international attention.
-
Eve eVTOL
Image Credit: Embraer Eve Air Mobility, an Embraer spinoff, built its first full-scale prototype electric eVTOL last year, with expected certification by the end of 2026. The futuristic-looking, battery-powered eVTOL is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers, with a range of 60 miles and cruising speed of 125 mph. Given Embraer’s deep pockets, it should be a success in the fast-growing eVTOL world, with competitors such as Joby and Archer.
