With the arrival of the first wing and fuselage in late August, Embraer Executive Jets’ assembly facility in Melbourne, FL, has added production of the Phenom 300 light aircraft to the two-shift assembly operation. Full development of the assembly line, including the addition of the Phenom 300, will be completed in the first quarter 2013.

“We have added the Phenom 300 to bring production closer to our customers,” said Phil Krull, managing director of the facility. “Customers have been benefiting from the delivery of the entry-level Phenom 100 produced in Melbourne since last year and we are now ready to expand these operations.”

Since its recent arrival, the fuselage and wing of the Phenom 300 have been readied for the commencement of assembly. Workers have been preparing all work instructions and tooling and have completed training at Embraer Executive Jets’ production facility in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil. The Melbourne assembly facility has also completed hiring the necessary personnel to accommodate the addition of the Phenom 300. The current complement of assembly personnel now stands at 160. The employee complement for both the assembly and customer centers is now 233.

The addition of the Phenom 300 to the assembly line comes as Embraer is developing the Embraer Engineering and Technology Center USA at its growing aeronautical complex in Melbourne. Scheduled for completion in 2014, the engineering center will add another 200 jobs over the next five years.

The Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 assembly line has the ability to ultimately produce eight aircraft per month in a mix of the two aircraft produced on a single assembly line. The first U.S.-assembled Phenom 300 is scheduled for delivery in March 2013, one of more than 12 scheduled for production in Melbourne in 2013. The production certificate recently granted by the Federal Aviation Administration for the Phenom 100 will be expanded to include production of the Phenom 300.

Source and photo: Embraer