The whole idea of a business trip is to do some business, and that’s exactly what Embraer’s Legacy business jet did last month, when it first touched down on U.S. soil and rolled up to the NBAA static display on December 11. It was greeted as few new business jets ever have been–by Chicago-based Indigo Air placing a firm order for 25 and taking options for 50 more, together worth some $1.1 billion (dependent on Indigo’s successfully obtaining financing). Added to sales from Phoenix-based charter operator Swift Aviation, the order book now holds firm orders for 73 copies of the Legacy and options on another 94.
The Legacy arrived from Brazil, complete with fresh Brazilian CTA certification received only the day before. The new order arrived from Indigo, which plans to configure the aircraft with 18-to 19-seat first-class cabins for initial operations between Chicago Midway Airport and Teterboro (N.J.) and, later, for more frequent flights to other destinations. (Atlanta DeKalb-Peachtree Airport, a major southern business aviation hub, has been mentioned as a likely candidate for the expanded service.)
