Embraer Praetor 500 Charter

Embraer launched the Praetor 500 alongside the Praetor 600 at NBAA 2018 as the winglet-and-extra-fuel upgrade to the Legacy 450. The Praetor 500 added Embraer's carbon-composite winglets, an extra fuel tank in the fuselage centre section and updated Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, taking the type's range from the Legacy 450's 2,904 nm to a class-leading 3,340 nm — the longest range in the mid-light category by a wide margin.

Around 60 examples have been delivered to date. The Praetor 500 has been widely adopted by fractional operators (Flexjet made it the anchor of its mid-light fleet) and by European charter operators looking for genuine transcontinental range in a mid-light footprint. It is the modern mid-light class benchmark on range, cabin altitude and cabin experience.

For charter clients the Praetor 500 is the aircraft that closed the gap between mid-light and super-midsize. It flies most transatlantic-adjacent missions the Praetor 600 flies, in a smaller cabin, at meaningfully lower hourly cost.

Cabin dimensions are identical to the Legacy 450: 24 feet long, 6 feet 10 inches wide, 6 feet tall — flat floor, stand-up throughout. Standard layout is a seven-passenger club-four plus three-place divan. The Praetor 500 introduced the Bossa Nova interior — the same clean, contemporary Brazilian design language that defines the Praetor 600 and the current Phenom 300E — with diamond-stitched leather, brushed metal accents and warm wood veneers.

Cabin altitude at FL450 is 5,800 ft — best in class alongside the Praetor 600. Ka-band Wi-Fi is standard from delivery. Baggage volume is 155 cubic feet. The cabin management system runs from personal devices and includes 4K HD monitors on late-production aircraft.

The lavatory is fully enclosed and generously sized. The galley is forward-right with hot and cold storage and espresso option. On sectors over four hours, two lie-flat berths across the aisle become a real feature.

Twin Honeywell HTF7500E engines deliver 7,036 pounds of thrust each — uprated over the Legacy 450. Maximum operating Mach is 0.83; long-range cruise Mach 0.80. Certified ceiling is FL450. NBAA IFR range with four passengers is 3,340 nautical miles — genuine transcontinental US with reserves, London to Dubai or Riyadh non-stop, London to New York in winter with a tech-stop margin.

Balanced field length at MTOW is 4,222 ft — excellent for the range. Landing distance is 2,086 ft. Steep-approach certification (London City), hot-and-high performance and short-field access are all class-leading.

Charter hourly rates run $6,500–$8,000 in North America; €7,000–€8,500 in Europe. Indicative pricing: New York to Los Angeles from $30,000; London to Dubai from £42,000; London to New York (with tech stop) from £54,000; Aspen to New York from $25,000.

Against the Legacy 450 the 500 adds 436 nm of range and modern winglets at 5–10 per cent higher cost. Against the Praetor 600 the 500 gives up 678 nm of range and cabin length at 20–25 per cent lower hourly cost. Against the Citation Latitude the 500 wins on every performance axis at comparable cost.

The Praetor 500 is the modern mid-light benchmark and, for most missions, the rational choice in the segment.

Charter the Praetor 500 for four-to-seven-passenger transcontinental missions where cabin comfort, cabin altitude and short-field access are decisive. It is the modern mid-light class benchmark on nearly every axis.

Step up to the Praetor 600 for genuine transatlantic range with reserves; step down to a Legacy 450 for 5–10 per cent lower cost on shorter missions. For most mid-light charter clients the Praetor 500 is the aircraft to specify.