Embraer has so far delivered 12 Phenom 100 business jets in the U.S. and both customer acceptance and service records are good according to Clint Clouatre, the company’s senior marketing manager for executive jets. Embraer is displaying a customer-delivered aircraft at this year’s Sun ‘n Fun. In a video interview with AVweb, Clouatre said the aircraft is performing beyond original expectations and early-delivery glitches have been resolved. Embraer isn’t immune to the current economic issues but he said order cancellations are rare. “There have been some requests for deferrals,” he said. The order book for the Phenom 100 and its bigger cousin, the 300, still tops 800 aircraft, Clouatre said.
Embraer continues to tweak the 100, recently adding an option package to improve takeoff performance. Its customer service network is up and running and production continues at the Brazilian plant in advance of the construction of an assembly plant in Melbourne, Fla. Clouatre said Sun ‘n Fun is a good launching pad for the debut of the actual airplane. He said many Sun ‘n Fun attendees are looking to move up from their piston aircraft to a jet and that’s the market the Phenom series aims to serve.
| Related Content: AVweb‘s video coverage of the Phenom 100 tour display at Sun ‘n Fun. |
