“We are elated that Middle East Airlines has selected the Legacy 500 for its new charter business fleet,” said Marco Túlio Pellegrini, President & CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “The Legacy 500 will certainly delight passengers and pilots alike, and deliver the efficient performance and low-cost operation required for a successful charter business.”
“The Legacy 500 brings the comfort, technology and performance that will enable us to offer customers a premium travel experience,” said Mohamad A. El-Hout, Chairman-Director General of MEA.
“The onboard features and amenities make this aircraft the ideal charter jet for our market and our customers. For example: the Legacy 500 allows our clients to fly direct from Beirut to London City Airport,” he added.
The Legacy 500 has the best-in-class six-foot flat-floor cabin, which is comparable to those of some aircraft in the super midsize category. Eight club seats may be berthed into four beds for complete rest in a cabin altitude of 6,000 feet. The in-flight entertainment system consists of a high definition video system, surround sound, multiple audio and video input options, a cabin management system, and three options for voice communications and connectivity.
The Legacy 500 is the first midsize business jet with digital flight controls, based on Fly-By-Wire technology, featuring side sticks. The state-of-the-art Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite on four 15-inch high resolution LCD displays allows graphical flight planning, and has options like paperless operations capability, auto brakes, and the E2VS (Embraer Enhanced Vision System), which includes a Head Up Display (HUD) with the Enhanced Vision System (EVS).
The Legacy 500 is capable of flying at 45,000 feet and is powered by two Honeywell HTF7500E engines, the greenest in their class. Taking off from airfields as short as 4,084 ft, the Legacy 500 has a range of 3,125 nautical miles (5,788 kilometers) with four passengers, including NBAA IFR fuel reserves.
Middle East Airlines Air Liban (MEA), the national airline of Lebanon, is one of the leading Middle Eastern carriers. From its home base at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, MEA flies to 30 international destinations in Europe, the Middle East and West Africa. Since 2003 the airline has carried out an ambitious fleet renewal program, and is currently operating 4 Airbus A330-200s, 2 Airbus A321s and 11 A320s.