Phenom rules in the skies of Gavião Peixoto
Valor Econômico - 01/16/2008
In March, Embraer's assembly unit in Gavião Peixoto (SP) starts the serial production of the "very light jet" Phenom 100, the first representative of the company in the executive jet category, created from an original platform. With a request queue that already exceeds 700 units - among the models Phenom 100 (for six occupants) and "light jet" Phenom 300 (with nine seats) -, Embraer starts producing only one jet a month, a pace that may reach one aircraft a day until the end of 2009. Three weeks ago, Embraer inaugurated the hangar that will shelter the production of the family of jets. The backlog guarantees the activity of the production line until half of 2013. To harmoniously reach this pace is the main challenge of the industrial officer André Luiz Soriani, who took part in the Phenom project from its conception to the planning of the assembly line. "We have created a modern plant, whose conception was based on several criteria of the assembly lines of the car industry", he says. This model of production, according to Soriani, is one of the factors that will guarantee the rhythm of deliveries and the competitiveness of the Phenom 100, which will compete with models from traditional and powerful manufacturers of the segment, such as Cessna, Bombardier, and Gulfstream. The Phenom family was responsible for increasing the value of Embraer's backlog of executive jets to US$ 4.5 billion, which also includes the Legagy 600 and Lineage 1000 models, developed from the platform of commercial jets. In an extremely competitive market, evaluated by the manufacturers at nearly US$ 200 billion in the next 10 years, Embraer avoids talking about investments. The market, however, estimates that the Phenom project may consume US$ 300 million up to 2010. The assembly line of Gavião Peixoto has already produced two Phenom 100 that are being used for the campaign of certification of the aircraft (which qualifies it for operation), of 1200 hours, besides 600 hours for maturation tests. Two other jets of the same model, assembled in São José dos Campos, participate in the process. The employees of the hangar are also finishing the first Phenom 300, which is to make the first flight in the middle of this year and have its production starting in 2009.