Brazil's Embraer announces new variants of Praetor business jets

By Gabriel Araujo

SAO PAULO, ‌Feb 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian ​planemaker ​Embraer announced on Tuesday new variants of its Praetor business jets as it seeks to capitalize on heated global demand for ‌executive aircraft.

The move upgrades Embraer's product line but falls short ⁠of a brand-new jet, as market players continue to question if and when the world's ‌third-largest planemaker might develop larger ‌aircraft models.

The company will now offer the Praetor 500E and 600E, which it said will feature an improved cabin experience. They mark the first ​evolution of the current Praetor 500 and 600 models, introduced in 2018.

Reuters first reported earlier on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter, ⁠that Embraer was preparing to unveil a new variant of the Praetor jets.

The upgraded aircraft will include ​a new cabin management system, enhanced entertainment and lighting, and re-engineered seating, Embraer said. It also pledged increased storage and ​disposal volume due to galley and refreshment ‌center changes.

Demand for executive jets has been particularly strong since the COVID-19 pandemic. Embraer last year inked its largest-ever ⁠bizjet firm order with Flexjet, following a 2023 order from Berkshire Hathaway's NetJets.

The head of Embraer's executive jets unit, Michael Amalfitano, said at a virtual event unveiling ⁠the variants that global demand for business aircraft "continues to accelerate" among both companies and ultrawealthy ​individuals.

Deliveries for new orders are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2029, Embraer said.

Embraer competes in the very-light to super-mid-size categories of the market, with the ‌Praetor 600 - its largest business jet - seating up to 12 passengers. Firms such as Dassault and Bombardier offer bigger ‌aircraft.

In recent years, the Brazilian company has often been linked to the potential ⁠development of larger commercial aircraft, but ‌CEO Francisco Gomes Neto ​told Reuters in November there was also demand for larger executive jets.

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, Editing by Natalia Siniawski and ‌Brendan O'Boyle)

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