On June 19, the German business charter airline Air Hamburg presented its latest addition to the fleet: a Legacy 650E from Embraer. The aircraft with registration D-ANCE is a very special one. It is the last produced aircraft of the ERJ family.
ERJ stands for Embraer Regional Jet. The smallest member, the ERJ 135 with a capacity for up to 37 passengers, made its maiden flight in 1995. It was followed by the larger ERJ 140 and ERJ 145, as well as the Legacy 600 and Legacy 650 business jet variants based on the ERJ 135. There is also a military variant called the R99.
Major competitor of the CRJ
«This exit is part of the Executive Jet division's renewed focus on the newly developed Phenom- and Praetor products», says an Embraer spokesperson. With more than 1200 units built, the ERJ family is one of the most produced regional aircraft in the world. Its major competitor was Bombardier's Canadair Regional Jet CRJ. The latter is also coming to an end soon.
The ERJ production lines in Brazil will continue to be used to build the new Praetor 600 business jet and the first and second generation E-Jets. Focusing the business on the newer models seems logical for the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer. Embraer finds itself in a doubly difficult situation due to the Corona crisis and the failure of the joint venture with Boeing. In mid-June, the company was granted government loans.
