Embraer has delivered the first China-based Legacy 500 to brand ambassador Jackie Chan. The handover comes seven months after the midsize business jet secured Chinese certification and should help to raise awareness of the 10-seat, fly-by-wire business jet in Asia. Guan Dongyuan, president of Embraer China, says the actor’s selection of the Legacy 500 is a boost for the midsize business jet sector and could mark a cultural shift for a country that is renowned for its preference for large-cabin, long-range business jets.
“Chan’s choice reflects the changing mindset among Chinese customers that midsize executive jets can fulfil most of their business missions,” says Guan. Martial arts star Chan became the Chinese launch customer in 2012 for the large-cabin Legacy 650, which he will continue to operate.
Flightglobal’s Ascend Online Fleets database records around 30 Legacy 500s worldwide, nearly half of which are based in the USA. In 2015 – the twinjet’s first full year of production – Embraer shipped 20 of the Honeywell HTF7500E-powered type.
News & Image Sources: Airbus.