Embraer announced on July 14 the maiden flight of its first Legacy 500 assembled at its facilities in Melbourne, Florida, just eight months after the first Legacy 450 assembled in Melbourne took flight. According to Embraer, all flight test procedures were successfully completed. “We are very pleased with yet another milestone for the Legacy 500 and we look forward to delivering the aircraft in the third quarter,” said Michael Amalfitano, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “This flight also marks a key milestone for our Melbourne operations, where we expanded our production facility and doubled our footprint.” The Legacy 500 is the fourth business jet model to be assembled at Embraer’s Melbourne facility, where the Legacy 450 is also produced, alongside the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300. The Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 are also manufactured at Embraer’s production facilities in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer began its Melbourne aircraft assembly operations in early 2011. Over the last seven years, it has delivered close to 250 business jets, valued at about US$ 2 billion, from this facility.
