Embraer expects to deliver three to six Legacy 500 business jets this year, after achieving entry into service before July.
“We do not intend to deliver many [Legacy 500s] in the second part of the year,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and chief executive Marco Tulio Pellegrini, speaking to journalists on 7 April.
Embraer
The company has been labouring to deliver the fly-by-wire midsize business jet, despite acknowledged issues with the maturity of the flight controls.
In December 2012, Embraer delayed first delivery of the Legacy 500 from late 2013 to the first half of 2014. The delay also set back entry into service by 12 months for the Legacy 450 – a smaller version of the type with a reduced range.
Embraer is holding to its current schedule for entry into service, but is taking a cautious approach on ramping up production.
The company wants to make sure the systems are mature and any needed improvements can be rolled into the design before increasing production rates, Pellegrini says.
The Legacy 500 shipments are part of an overall plan to deliver 105-120 executive jets this year. Embraer plans to deliver 80-90 light jets from the Phenom 100/300 series, while another 25-30 deliveries will come from the large jet category, which now includes the Legacy 500, Legacy 600/650 and Lineage 1000.
Source: Flight International
