Brazilian airplane manufacturer Embraer announced three separate orders for its Legacy business jets here at MEBA yesterday, as well as the addition of Falcon Air Services of Abu Dhabi to its growing list of worldwide service centers.
Al Jaber Aviation (AJA), a subsidiary of the Al Jaber Group in Abu Dhabi, signed for four Legacy 450 and four Legacy 550 jets, for a total value of $134.6 million (January 2008 economic conditions). The order represents Embraer’s first Legacy fleet order from a customer in the Middle East and is AJA’s second Embraer order. At the Dubai Air Show last year, AJA ordered five Lineage 1000s and two Legacy 600s, with options for another two 1000s and one 600. AJA will receive its first Legacy 600 in early 2009 from last year’s order and the first delivery from the order announced yesterday in 2013. AJA plans to start VIP charter services from Abu Dhabi and Dubai in February 2009.
Kuwait-based charter operator ASAIG Aviation, a subsidiary of Al-Shalfan International Group, placed the other Legacy order, this one for two Legacy 500s with a total value of $36.8 million. The first of the two aircraft is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2103. ASAIG plans to use one Legacy 500 for on-demand charter and the second for the private travel needs of the Al-Shalfan International Group. The operating company also has an order for eight Phenom jets–six 100s and two 300s–with the delivery of the first of these in December next year.
The third order came from Falcon Aviation Services (FAS) of Abu Dhabi, for two Legacy 500s worth $36.8 million and scheduled for first delivery in the second quarter of 2014. Embraer and FAS also announced their first agreement at last year’s Dubai Air Show. The company received its first Legacy 600 in August. Its total Embraer fleet order will eventually include four Phenom 300s, two Legacy 500s, three Legacy 600s and two Lineage 1000s.
FAS will also become Embraer’s authorized service center for the Middle East. After opening three Embraer-owned service centers in the U.S. this year, Embraer now has a total of 45 service centers worldwide, seven of which are company owned and the rest authorized. The company has invested more than $100 million in customer support just this year.
Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer executive vice president of executive jets, said yesterday that the entry-into-services dates for aircraft mentioned above are: Legacy 450, second half of 2013; Legacy 500, second half of 2012; Legacy 1000, before the end of this year; Phenom 100, before the end of this year; and Phenom 300, second half of 2009. He said Embraer’s executive jet backlog totals $7 billion, which is one third of the company’s total backlog. This backlog, he said, will help carry the company through 2009, providing a record level of deliveries, and into following slowdown, which Embraer now predicts will bottom out in the 2012 time frame.
