First Legacy 650 for Saudis

Embraer Executive Jets yesterday announced that it has sold and delivered a Legacy 650 to Saudi Arabia-based FAL Aviation–the first Legacy 650 registered in the Kingdom. A subsidiary of the Fal Group in Riyadh, Fal Aviation was among the first operators of the Legacy 600 when it was introduced in 2003.

“Following on from the type’s introduction in Jordan and the UAE, this first Legacy 650 into Saudi Arabia is a clear endorsement of the market acceptance for our aircraft in the region,” said Colin Steven, Embraer Executive Jets vice president, marketing and sales, Europe, Africa and Middle East. “Our Legacy family, offering an outstanding level of comfort, excellent performance and state-of-the-art onboard technology, perfectly fits customer expectations in the Middle East.”

With a range of 3,900 nm, the Legacy 650 can fly nonstop from Riyadh to London or Beijing, or from Moscow to Shanghai or London to New Delhi.

“For us, the Legacy 650 was the natural upgrade of the Legacy 600 to fit our needs in terms of extended range,” said Sheik Fahad Al Athel, owner of the FAL Group. “Both our Legacy aircraft, which combine luxury, comfort, large baggage volume, innovation and operating efficiency, will afford our clients journeys that are as fast and pleasant as possible.”

Introduced in late 2010, the Legacy 650 features the Honeywell Primus Elite avionics suite and three cabin zones, and accommodates up to 14 passengers. Working to ensure customers have access to a global network of support services, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer also announced an agreement with Jet Aviation-Moscow Vnukovo to provide line maintenance using certified mechanics for Legacy 600/650 customers in Russia.