Embraer is a well-known aerospace company that produces a wide variety of aircraft and aviation systems. Currently, the company is the third-largest manufacturer of civil aircraft, trailing only Boeing and Airbus. The São Paulo, Brazil-based company is a major producer of private jets, producing some of the most popular light and midsize private jets on the market.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the Brazilian government made major investments in the country’s aerospace industry. However, it wasn’t until the late 1960s that Embraer was formed as a government-owned corporation. The company began by introducing the EMB 110 Bandeirante, a turboprop-powered passenger aircraft.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the company began producing several other products, mostly for military applications. However, the EMB 110 Bandeirante saw success as a small regional airliner. In the 1970s, Embraer also began a joint venture with Piper Aircraft, as it was licensed to develop, produce, and market popular Piper light aircraft. Embraer began selling the Navajo, Seneca, and Cherokee within the Brazilian market, producing over 2,500 total aircraft.
However, by the 1990s, Embraer was struggling to produce new aircraft. After acquiring Aerotec S/A Indústria Aeronáutica, the company developed the Uirapuru. However, the aircraft was no longer required by the Brazilian Air Force by the time it flew. This led the company to near bankruptcy.
Because of this, Embraer was sold to private investors in 1994. This was short-lived, however. In 2000, Embraer made simultaneous initial public offerings (IPOs) on the NYSE and BM&F Bovespa.
Additionally, in the 1990s, Embraer began to expand its regional aircraft offerings, focusing on a new jet-powered platform. This led to the introduction of the Embraer Regional Jet series, with deliveries of the ERJ-145 beginning in the mid-1990s. This was a hugely successful step for the company, transforming Embraer into a major regional jet manufacturer.
The company capitalized on the early success of the ERJ series, launching the E-Jet series in the early 2000s, which included the E170, E175, E190, and E195. In the early 2000s is also when Embraer decided to enter the private aviation industry, with the launch of the Legacy 600 that was based on the ERJ-145. In the late 2000s, Embraer expanded its private jet offerings with the introduction of the Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300, a very light jet and light jet. It also developed a private jet on the other hand of the market, the Lineage 1000, an ultra-long-range private jet.
The 2010s led to more growth for Embraer. The company developed the next upgrade to its regional jet offerings with the introduction of the E-Jet E2 family. It also developed several upgraded private jets, the Praetor 500 and the Praetor 600, to replace its aging Legacy series.
Recently, Embraer has diversified its aerospace portfolio even more with the spin-off business segment Eve Air Mobility, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) company. It also plans to introduce upgrades to several private jet models in the coming years. Overall, Embraer ended 2025 with a record order backlog and looks to continue to expand its product offerings in the future.
Today, Embraer produces several popular business jet offerings:
| Aircraft Model | Entry into Service | Aircraft Class | Engines | Capacity | Range |
| Phenom 100EX | 2008 | Very light jet | Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617 | 7 passengers | 1,178 nautical miles |
| Phenom 300E | 2009 | Light jet | Pratt & Whitney PW535 | 9 passengers | 2,010 nautical miles |
| Praetor 500 | 2019 | Midsize jet | Honeywell HTF7500 | 9 passengers | 3,340 nautical miles |
| Praetor 600 | 2019 | Super-midsize jet | Honeywell HTF7500 | 12 passengers | 4,018 nautical miles |
The Phenom 100EX is the latest variant of the popular Phenom 100 series. This very light jet was first introduced in 2008. However, several upgrades were introduced, including the Phenom 100E and the Phenom 100EV Evolution. The latest variant, the Phenom 100EX, was updated in 2023.
The Embraer Phenom 300E is a slightly larger jet compared to the Phenom 100 series, falling into the light business jet class. The original Phenom 300 was introduced in 2009. Like the Phenom 100, Embraer has introduced several upgrades, with the Phenom 300E introduced in 2018 and the currently-produced 2020 Phenom 300E in 2020.
The Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 are also upgraded variants of the earlier-introduced Legacy 450 and Legacy 500 aircraft series. These two models were introduced in 2019. Embraer has also begun marketing upgraded aircraft in this series, the Praetor 500E and the Praetor 600E, which will be delivered beginning in the late 2020s.
Embraer has been around since the late 1960s, but it did not officially enter the private aviation industry until the early 2000s, when the company began deliveries of the Legacy 600. This aircraft was based on the popular regional airliner, the ERJ-145, and was first introduced in 2002. Embraer later introduced several upgraded variants of this series before ending production in the late 2010s.
Additionally, in the early 2010s, Embraer began a clean-sheet design for two new aircraft similar to the Legacy 600, but slightly smaller. This led to the production of the Legacy 450 and Legacy 500. Eventually, both of these aircraft would be replaced by the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600.
After finding success from converting one of its regional airliners into a private jet, Embraer attempted to model a new private jet on another successful regional aircraft. In 2009, Embraer introduced the Lineage 1000, an ultra-long-range private jet based on the E190. It introduced another upgrade to the model in the 2010s before ending production of the aircraft series in 2020, with fewer than 30 produced.
Currently, Embraer is a multinational aerospace corporation. Initially, Embraer was funded by the Brazilian government before becoming a publicly traded company in 2000.
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Manufacturing Locations | – São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
– Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil – Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil – Eugênio de Melo, São Paulo, Brazil – Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil – Melbourne, Florida |
| Company Type | Public corporation |
| Stock Symbols | – New York Stock Exchange (NYSE): $EMBJ
– Brazilian Stock Exchange (B3): $EMBR3 – Frankfurt Stock Exchange: $EMY |
| Approximate Employees | 19,000 (2024) |
| 2024 Revenue | $6.4 billion USD |
| 2024 Net Income | $1.9 billion USD |
Embraer has grown into one of the most popular private jet manufacturers in the world. Because of this, many global operators have acquired several variants for charter and fractional use. This includes the following private jet providers:
