Embraer's New Legacy Turns Business Jet World Upside Down

Embraer has unveiled a new super mid-size business jet with a $1 billion launch order the Brazilian company describes as the largest ever placed by a non-fractional ownership business jet operator. The aircraft brings an unprecedented combination of long range and low price to the corporate market.

In the spectacular setting of London's Natural History Museum, Embraer president and CEO Mauricio Botelho introduced the Legacy business jet and claimed 25 orders and 25 options from Phoenix-based Swift Aviation. The Greek government will acquire a single VIP aircraft.

The $19 million Legacy is derived from the ERJ-135 regional jet, but with uprated Rolls-Royce AE3007-A1P engines and a substantial belly fuel tank which extends range to more than 3,000 nmi with 10 passengers and full NBAA reserves. Three versions will be available: 8/10-seat VIP configuration, 20-seat corporate shuttle, and government VIP variant.

Embraer will convert the No. 2 ERJ-135 prototype (PT-ZJC) to serve as the Legacy demonstrator, adding a series of progressive airframe modifications to flight test the Legacy's new features. Embraer plans to have the first production Legacy in the air by early 2001 and hopes to have the aircraft certified by August 31, 2001. Swift Aviation expects to have its first Legacy in service on September 1, 2001.

The Legacy name was inspired by Embraer's 30 years of experience and success, Botelho said at the launch event. Sam Hill, Embraer executive VP for corporate aircraft, continued, "We said at the last Paris Air Show that we would undertake a study of a corporate aircraft, and this aircraft will redefine the mid-size market. A project isn't valued until you have a launch customer and we're happy to tell you we have two."

Swift Aviation specializes in corporate charter work with new top-of-the line aircraft including the Citation X, Falcon 2000, Gulfstream IV, Boeing 737 and Boeing 757. It plans to operate its Legacys in 10- to 13-seat configuration, with the potential to switch to corporate shuttle layout.

"We selected the Legacy for three reasons: the basic quality of the aircraft, its operating costs and, above all, the quality of the people behind it," said Swift president and CEO Jerry Moyes. "We liked its numbers and its size, and we liked how it fits into the U.S. market. We already have customers looking for them."

"Embraer came to us because they could see our current fleet and they wanted to tell us what they were bringing to the market," said Swift operations VP Stephen Pitt. "We never really looked at any other aircraft, and certainly Bombardier have never approached us.

"Our orders are real orders, they're as firm as you can get-and the aircraft is very clearly defined too," Pitt said. "It has range, price, direct operating costs and equipment that we know-all very, very reliable. We chose the Legacy because we want to be in there first. The numbers on this aircraft are amazing. It's just home run."

Asked whether Embraer had plans to set up its own fractional ownership operation, executive VP Satoshi Yokota said, "We don't compete with our own customers. We want fractional operators to sign up too, and we are in advanced negotiations with several of them."

Also on hand was Nicolaos Leontartis, deputy director of the armaments directorate in the Greek Defense Ministry. He congratulated Embraer on the work it's undertaken on the Greek EMB-145 AEW&C program, and confirmed that the Greek Air Force would take delivery of a Legacy, joining the single VIP-configured ERJ-135 already in service.

By Robert Hewson