Haute Jet of the Week: Embraer Phenom 300

When it comes to jets: comfort and functionality are often as important as the operating costs. The Phenom 300 was developed after requests of Phenom 100 owners for a larger aircraft. The result was a light business jet featuring two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E turbofan engines, that proved to be quite popular.

This popularity is partially thanks to the fact that the Phenom 300 was developed to operate from smaller airports such as London City and Aspen. Many popular destinations have these smaller airports, and with the Phenom, they can be reached in comfort and with privacy.

Officially launched at the end of 2009, the Phenom 300 offers room to six to ten passengers, depending on the preferred interior setup by the client. In addition, it is capable of handling no less than 84 cubic feet of luggage, the largest of its class. While called a light-jet, its performance will never give you this impression. It has a range of 1.971 nautical miles and can do so quite swiftly with a top speed of 0.78 Mach.

The interior is very light thanks to large windows. It offers a full-size lavatory (which is unfortunately not always the case on a light-jet) as well as a clever interior design in which the seats are capable of reclining fully. This actually allows you to sleep when needed in relative comfort. When in upright position they are designed so that there is ample room to sit, but that also the center aisle is easy to maneuver through.

With these specifications, it is not surprising that the Phenom 300 is very popular. It has been the most delivered business jet for three consecutive years, the majority of them sold in the United States. Especially as a charter plane, it remains incredibly popular as for example NetJets signed a contract in 2010 for no less than 125 Phenom’s 300, as part of its fleet overhaul. Given its qualities, this popularity will probably remain the case for the foreseeable future.

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