Embraer goes from strength to strength with new Melbourne, Fla. Legacy 450 & 500 complex

Just a few weeks after Embraer received regulatory approval for its medium-sized Legacy 500 business jet, the Brazilian company broke ground on the construction of its Legacy 500 and Legacy 450 assembly complex in Melbourne, Florida. The 236,000 ft² premises should be operational by 2016 and will feature four new buildings. These will include an assembly hangar, a paint facility, a completion center and flight preparation facility, and a new dedicated delivery center. Embraer has come a long way in the 6 short years since it first started US operations from a 212,000 ft² building in Brevard county. Back then the company held a modest 3% of the business-jet market. Today the company holds an impressive 18% and growing. This new set-up will see staff levels increase from 400 to over 1,000 over the next four years and Embraer continue to take full advantage of Florida’s removal of sales tax on manufacturing equipment which has allowed them to be so competitive. However onlookers should not be deceived into thinking that Embraer are settling for a solid holding in the mid-range business jet market. They are fully aware that while the Legacy 500 can carry up to 12 passengers, it has a range of only 3,000 nautical miles, which means the Gulfstream G650 will still remain the jet of choice for the CEO’s of this world. With a range of 7,500 nautical miles that means the long-range G650 can fly non-stop to Beijing from New York with 18 passengers on board. Embraer will also be keeping a close eye on Bombardier too, who are venturing further into the long-range jet market with their Global 7000 and 8000 models which will be operational in 2016 and 2107 respectively and which will be able to carry up to 19 passengers over 7,000 nautical miles. With the way the globe is opening up economically, the long-range business jet is seen as an area of the market which should expect to see steady growth in the years to come, so don’t be surprised to see Embraer’s name appearing in the long-range sector of the business jet market in the near future.