London, England, June 5, 2009 – London Executive Aviation, one of Europe’s largest private jet charter operators, has taken delivery of a new Embraer Legacy 600 executive jet, the 1,100th aircraft to be produced on Embraer’s ERJ 145 platform. The milestone delivery highlights the popularity of the large-cabin Legacy and its great suitability to European charter operations.
LEA is one of the most experienced Legacy 600 fleet operators in Europe, having first introduced the type to the UK charter market in 2006. This latest aircraft joins three others in the LEA charter fleet and is the sixth that the company has operated.
LEA sourced the new aircraft directly from Embraer on behalf of a long-established client, an experienced Legacy 600 owner. This is the latest case study for LEA’s fast-growing aircraft management business, with the company managing the entire acquisition process. The Legacy was delivered to LEA’s team in São Paulo, who conducted a full acceptance inspection prior to making the transatlantic delivery flight to Stansted via Recife and Gran Canaria, with the Recife – Gran Canaria sector being covered in five-and-a-half hours. This is the fourth occasion on which LEA has managed a factory delivery with Embraer in Brazil.
The aircraft features the very latest enhancements to the bestselling Legacy 600. The already-generous and well-appointed cabin has been improved with a dropped floor that creates an extra two inches of headroom, while upgraded soundproofing contributes to an even more relaxing in-flight environment. Its maximum range is 3,400 miles, an improvement of 200 miles over previous Legacys. The jet can transport up to 13 passengers from London to destinations throughout Europe and into the Middle East and Africa. Based at Oxford, the aircraft is fully available for third-party charter.
George Galanopoulos, managing director of LEA, said, “The Legacy 600 is simply an excellent business jet, and this is the best we’ve ever seen. Embraer has obviously been listening to its customers, because they have taken an already great cabin and added refinements that make it all but unbeatable in its class. Dispatch reliability has been faultless, which is another feather in Embraer’s cap – they are beginning to set new standards when it comes to hassle free operations.”
The new Legacy 600 enters service at time that LEA is seeing early signs of confidence returning amongst large cabin jet charter customers, and is expected to be popular, given its compelling blend of space, performance and value.
“For larger groups who need to travel together, the Legacy 600 is probably unmatched at this time,” said Galanopoulos. “Not only can you carry up to 13 passengers, but the three-zone cabin means that people travelling together can maintain their own private space. Whether it is a band on tour or a management team on a roadshow, the Legacy is a great tool to help people cover the miles while performing at their best.”
PHOTOGRAPHY
Hi res pictures of the new aircraft are available for download from Flickr – click here.
