Aircraft
Embraer Legacy 500: Specs, Range, and What It Costs
Embraer Legacy 500 specs and pricing
The Embraer Legacy 500 is a super-midsize business jet designed for coast-to-coast trips, with a cabin tall enough to stand in throughout the flight. One thing buyers often overlook with a discontinued aircraft like this is positioning: a quoted hourly rate rarely includes it.
Embraer certified the Legacy 500 with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in August 2014, and it entered service that October. It was the larger of a two-jet family that also included the midsize Legacy 450. Production ended in 2020, and Embraer hasn’t sold a new one since. That means every Legacy 500 flying today is pre-owned, and that should shape how you shop for one.
What the Embraer Legacy 500 Is
The Legacy 500, internally designated the EMB-550, is a twin-engine super-midsize jet powered by two Honeywell HTF7500E turbofans. Fly-by-wire flight controls back up the airframe, a first for this aircraft size when it launched, and they let the computer limit inputs that would otherwise overstress the airframe or stall the wing. Embraer built about 80 of them between 2014 and 2020.
This is a different aircraft than the Embraer Phenom 300 already on this site. The Phenom 300 is a light jet: six or seven passengers, a 4-foot-11 cabin, and trips under three hours. The Legacy 500 is one full class up. It seats eight in a standard layout, carries a cabin tall enough to stand in, and flies missions closer to five hours. If your trips regularly run past three hours or you need six-plus passengers working the whole flight, the Legacy 500 is the aircraft to look at instead.
Embraer replaced the Legacy 500 on its production line with the Praetor 600 in 2019. That newer jet carries roughly 900 nautical miles more range, with a nearly identical cabin. The Legacy 500 did not simply get a new name. It is a distinct, discontinued type with its own used-aircraft market and its own charter pricing.
The Flat-Floor, Stand-Up Cabin That Set It Apart
The Legacy 500 was the first jet in the super-midsize category with a genuinely flat cabin floor and full stand-up headroom, and that claim holds up. The cabin measures 6 feet tall, roughly 6 feet 10 inches wide, and about 24 feet long, with a published volume near 840 cubic feet.
That combination mattered more than it sounds. Most super-midsize rivals of that era built the cabin floor over a raised structural spar, so passengers stepped over a hump walking down the aisle. Embraer routed the wiring and plumbing beneath the floor instead. That is why the Legacy 500 aisle stays flat from the cockpit door to the aft lavatory.
Standard seating holds eight passengers in a double-club layout. A belted lavatory seat lets the lavatory double as a ninth seat on a full flight, and an externally serviceable galley means ground crew can restock catering without anyone climbing through the cabin. Embraer certified the type for up to 12 passengers in a high-density configuration. Almost no charter operator flies it that way, because a divan and a full galley eat into usable seating. Short-field performance is the other spec worth knowing. The Legacy 500 lands in 2,122 feet, opening smaller regional airports that a longer-legged super-midsize jet cannot use.
Embraer Legacy 500 Range and Speed
Embraer publishes 3,125 nautical miles of range for the Legacy 500 with National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) instrument flight rules (IFR) reserves and eight occupants aboard. Maximum operating speed is Mach 0.83, with typical long-range cruise around 440 knots. Maximum operating altitude is 45,000 feet.
That range figure covers most domestic missions in one hop. New York to Los Angeles, Miami to Seattle, and Boston to Phoenix all fit inside 3,125 nm with reserves to spare. What it will not do is a nonstop transatlantic crossing. The gap between 3,125 nm and the roughly 3,000 nm great-circle distance from New York to London looks close on paper. Headwinds and required fuel reserves push a westbound-style routing past what the aircraft can actually carry. Treat the Legacy 500 as a coast-to-coast jet. It was never built to cross an ocean.
What an Embraer Legacy 500 Costs to Buy
There is no new-aircraft price anymore. Corporate Jet Investor and market reporting from the aircraft’s final production years put the last new Legacy 500s at roughly $20 million before options. That figure lines up with the closing years of the program, right before the Praetor 600 took over.
Today the market is entirely pre-owned. Listings tracked by AvBuyer and Controller.com currently price used Legacy 500s from roughly $12 million to $17 million. Age, engine program enrollment, and avionics updates drive most of that spread. A newer, well-maintained 2019 or 2020 airframe sits at the top of the range. An early 2014 or 2015 delivery with fewer program enrollments sits closer to the bottom.
Treat those as asking prices. Neither source confirms an actual closed sale. Only about 80 aircraft were built, and a handful are typically listed at any time. That thin a market means one well-equipped airframe coming up for sale can move the average on its own.
What One Trip Costs, Line by Line
Broker rate cards quote a headline number, but the trip total runs well above it once every line item is added. Here is a Teterboro-to-Scottsdale round trip, about 2,000 nautical miles each way, with six passengers and two nights on the ground, built at a mid-range $5,500 per hour:
| Line item | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Flight time | 4.9 h west + 4.3 h east = 9.2 h × $5,500 | $50,600 |
| Repositioning | 0.5 h ferry to pick you up × $5,500 | $2,750 |
| Crew overnights | 2 crew × 2 nights | ~$800 |
| Landing, ramp, handling | Both ends | ~$1,800 |
| Catering | Two legs | ~$600 |
| Subtotal | $56,550 | |
| Federal excise tax | 7.5% of taxable transportation | $4,241 |
| Segment fee | 6 pax × 2 segments × $5.30 | $64 |
| Total | ~$60,855 |
That works out to about $6,614 per flight hour against a $5,500 quoted rate, a 20 percent premium once taxes and ground costs are counted. The 7.5 percent federal excise tax and the $5.30 per-passenger segment fee are the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 2026 rates for domestic charter. The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) confirms both figures. Split six ways, that trip runs about $10,140 per person round trip. Our private jet cost per hour guide breaks down how that math shifts across every aircraft class.
Embraer Legacy 500 vs Bombardier Challenger 350 vs Citation Sovereign+
The Legacy 500 competes against two aircraft you will see on every super-midsize shortlist: the Bombardier Challenger 350 and the Cessna Citation Sovereign+, built by Textron Aviation.
| Legacy 500 | Challenger 350 | Citation Sovereign+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | 3,125 nm | 3,200 nm | 3,200 nm |
| Cabin height | 6 ft 0 in, flat floor | 6 ft 0 in | 5 ft 8 in |
| Passengers | 8 standard | Up to 10 | Up to 9 |
| New price (last built) | ~$20M (2020) | ~$26.7M (2022) | ~$19–21M (2021) |
| Pre-owned today | ~$12–17M | Higher, younger fleet | ~$12–14M |
| Verdict | Flattest floor, best short-field | Widest cabin, deepest fleet | Cheapest, tightest headroom |
What we see buyers overlook most often when they run this comparison is that the flat floor matters more than the height number suggests. The Challenger 350 is also 6 feet tall, but its cabin steps up over the wing spar partway down the aisle. The Legacy 500 is the one aircraft in this table where nobody ducks or steps over anything from nose to tail. The Sovereign+ costs less used, but nobody stands up in a 5-foot-8 cabin at all. That headroom gap is the tradeoff its lower price buys.
Choose the Challenger 350 if fleet depth and charter availability matter more than saving a few million on the purchase. It dominates fractional programs and shows up on more charter certificates. Choose the Citation Sovereign+ if the budget is the deciding factor and a 5-foot-8 cabin is an acceptable tradeoff. Choose the Legacy 500 if the flat floor and short-field capability are worth hunting a thinner used market for.
When the Embraer Legacy 500 Is the Wrong Aircraft
Three situations argue against it. A buyer who wants factory support, a full warranty, and a currently produced aircraft should look at the Praetor 600 instead. Embraer stopped building the Legacy 500 in 2020, and no new-aircraft support path exists for it. A group flying two or three people on trips under two hours will pay super-midsize money for space that never gets used. A light jet like the Phenom 300 covers that same mission for roughly half the hourly rate. Anyone whose longest recurring leg needs more than 3,125 nautical miles with a full cabin needs more range too. The same is true for a genuine nonstop ocean crossing. Both call for the extra range of a Praetor 600 or a larger aircraft.
That last point is also what would change this recommendation. Suppose your longest trip regularly pushes past 3,000 nautical miles with six or more passengers aboard. The roughly 900 additional nautical miles on a Praetor 600 then stops being a nice-to-have. It becomes the difference between nonstop and a fuel stop. Below that threshold, the Legacy 500’s lower purchase price and lower hourly rate make it the better buy.
How to Fly an Embraer Legacy 500 Without Buying One
Three access routes exist, and they price very differently. On-demand charter through a broker costs the most per hour but commits you to nothing beyond the trip you book. Jet cards buy blocks of hours at a fixed rate with guaranteed availability, and several super-midsize card tiers include Legacy 500 or comparable aircraft. Fractional shares suit anyone flying more than roughly 100 hours a year in this class, since a share amortizes the purchase price across several owners.
Start with our jet card comparison if you fly 25 to 100 hours a year in this class. Read the fractional ownership guide if your flying runs heavier than that. Below 25 hours annually, on-demand charter keeps you from paying for capacity you will not use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Embraer Legacy 500 still in production?
No. Embraer built the Legacy 500 from 2014 to 2020, delivering about 80 aircraft before replacing it on the production line with the Praetor 600. Every Legacy 500 available today is a pre-owned aircraft.
What is the difference between the Embraer Legacy 500 and the Praetor 600?
The Praetor 600 is Embraer's direct successor to the Legacy 500, introduced in 2019 with roughly 900 additional nautical miles of range and a nearly identical cabin. It is not a rename of the same airframe. The Legacy 500 is a distinct, discontinued model with its own used-aircraft market and its own charter pricing, separate from the currently produced Praetor 600.
How many passengers does the Embraer Legacy 500 seat?
Eight passengers in the standard double-club configuration most operators fly. Embraer's type certificate allows up to 12 seats in a high-density layout. That dense layout sacrifices the divan and galley space nearly every charter operator keeps instead.
Does the Embraer Legacy 500 have a flat-floor, stand-up cabin?
Yes. It was the first jet in the super-midsize category with both a genuinely flat cabin floor and full 6-foot stand-up headroom from the cockpit to the aft lavatory. Embraer achieved that by routing the wiring and plumbing beneath the floor instead of over a raised structural spar.
How much does it cost to charter an Embraer Legacy 500?
Broker rate cards generally run $4,500 to $7,000 per flight hour. A realistic two-night domestic round trip of about 2,000 nautical miles each way lands near $60,900. That total adds repositioning, crew overnights, handling, catering, the 7.5% federal excise tax, and segment fees to the flight hours.
What is the range of an Embraer Legacy 500?
3,125 nautical miles with NBAA IFR reserves and eight occupants aboard. That covers nearly any US domestic city pair nonstop. It falls short of a reliable nonstop transatlantic crossing, which is one reason Embraer built the longer-range Praetor 600 to replace it.
The Short Verdict
The Embraer Legacy 500 is the super-midsize jet to shortlist when a genuinely flat, stand-up cabin and short-field access matter more than buying new or flying the deepest fleet. Its 2020 exit from production pushed the entire market to pre-owned. At $12 million to $17 million, it now undercuts a new Praetor 600 by a wide margin for nearly the same cabin. Price an Embraer Legacy 500 against both the Challenger 350 and a Praetor 600 jet card before you commit. The right choice comes down to how much range and fleet depth your actual trips need.
We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.