Topics: Eclipse & Phenom

Eclipse Opens First Service Center
Eclipse will cut the ribbon on its first Eclipse Service Center on Thursday when it officially opens its Southeast maintenance center at Gainesville, Fla. facility. The center will serve as a major maintenance base for DayJet, the company’s largest customer with firm orders for 239 Eclipse 500s and options for an additional 70 aircraft over the next two years.

Phenom Enters Fractional Industry
Embraer (ERJ) has signed a purchase agreement for seven Phenom 100 jets and options to acquire seven additional aircraft of the same model, with the U.S. fractional aircraft ownership company, Executive AirShare, of Kansas City, Mo. The total value of the agreement, at list price, is $ 9.95 million, and can double if all options are exercised. This order was already included in Embraer's backlog.
Delivery of the first jet is scheduled for mid-2010. The Phenom 100 Very Light Jet (VLJ) will help Executive AirShare with the strong demand for the company's concept of fractional aircraft ownership, which now includes customers in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Executive AirShare's fractional owners have access to their aircraft for a given number of days per year, rather than a strict number of flight-hours per year. Furthermore, customers have the use of the aircraft for an entire day, unlike national ownership planes that fly multiple customers to different locations on the same day with the same aircraft. Founded in 2001, Executive AirShare currently operates a fleet of 12 aircraft. The company is based in Kansas City, Mo., and also operates out of Mid-Continent Airport, in Wichita, Kan., Richard L. Jones, Jr. (Riverside) Airport, in Tulsa, Okla., and Fort Worth Meacham Airport, in Fort Worth, Texas.

Premier Aviation Orders Four Phenom 100 Jets
Embraer and Premier Aviation signed a contract for four Phenom 100 jets with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2009. The value of the contract is $11.4 million. This order was already included in Embraer's backlog. Premier Aviation's Phenom 100 will be configured with four seats and a fully-enclosed lavatory. The aircraft will be available for both fractional ownership and conventional charter operations. Premier Aviation is located in Leixlip, County Kildare, Ireland, and was created in 1995. Premier Aviation also offers lease-back service to private owners. Premier Aviation's current fleet consists of a mix of helicopters and jets.