Embraer plans to deliver more than 80 Phenom 100s in the second half of this year as it ramps up production of the new very light jet.
Chief executive Frederico Curado says the company still expects to deliver 110 Phenom 100s this year despite only delivering about 20 aircraft in the first half. Curado says “the third quarter will be key” as Embraer ramps up production to a planned rate of about 3.5 aircraft per week.
“We should deliver between 35 and 40 airplanes this quarter. If we do that I think we’ll be OK by year-end,” Curado says. “We are committed still to delivering 110 airplanes [this year].”
He adds Embraer is “holding” its plan for 110 Phenom 100s in 2009 and that 70 aircraft are currently on the assembly line. But he acknowledges finishing and delivering all these aircraft on time will be “a bit of a challenge”.
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Early this year Embraer slightly revised its projection for 2009 Phenom deliveries after a three-month slip in FAA certification from September to December 2008. Embraer was originally planning to deliver 15 Phenom 100s in 2008 and 120-150 aircraft in 2009 but ended up only delivering two aircraft in 2008 and had to trim its 2009 plan to 110 aircraft.
Meanwhile, Curado says the Phenom 300 light jet programme remains on schedule for certification and first delivery later this year. “We’re now finalising development of the Phenom 300 which should be finished by year-end,” he says.
Embraer now produces both Phenom models in Brazil but last year unveiled plans to also open a production line in the US in 2011. Curado says this plan remain intact and is a key part of Embraer’s “evolution of our industrial footprint in the US and is also consistent with our vision that Embraer will gradually become a global player based in Brazil and not just a Brazilian exporter”.
Curado says while the larger Lineage business jet is aimed mainly at the Middle East market, “the Phenom really falls in classical GA and it is for the US”. As part of an ongoing effort to promote its new products to the US general aviation community, Embraer will display the Phenom 100 and a mock-up of the Phenom 300 at next week’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.
Source: FlightGlobal.com