Embraer to Build MORE PRIVATE JETS in Brevard

October 15, 2018–Embraer has introduced a pair of new private jets named Praetor 500 and Praetor 600. The Praetor 500 can fly nearly 3,700 miles, more than 300 miles further than the Legacy 450 on which it’s based. The Praetor 600 has a range of nearly 4,500 miles which is roughly 900 miles more than the Legacy 500. The Praetor 600, the company says, will be the farthest-flying super-midsize business jet, allowing nonstop flights between London and New York. Both aircraft will be powered by a pair of Honeywell HTF 7500E turbofan engines. The extra range is the result of more aerodynamically efficient winglets and additional fuel capacity.

The Praetor 500/600 will not replace the two aircraft on which they are based. Instead, the Legacy 450/500 remain available for customers who don’t require the new planes’ increased capabilities.

All four planes will be assembled in Melbourne, Florida at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport.

“The Praetor jets are yet another example of Embraer’s innovative design and technology advancements,” said Lynda Weatherman, president and chief executive officer at the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast. “The selection of the Melbourne facility for assembly is a compliment to our dynamic workforce and an on-going benefit to this community from Embraer’s initial investment nearly 10 years ago,” she said.

Embraer’s current footprint in Brevard County, Florida includes assembling of the midsize Legacy 450 and Legacy 500, Embraer’s Engineering and Technology Center, a global customer care center in Melbourne and Embraer Aero Seatings Technologies, or E.A.S.T., in Titusville. About 950 people currently are employed by the company’s operations here.

The Praetor 600 is expected to be certified and will begin flying in the second quarter of 2019, followed by the Praetor 500 in the third quarter of 2019.

Source: Wayne Price, Florida Today, Oct 14, 2018