Aircraft

Embraer Praetor 500: Specs, Range, Cabin, and Real Cost

Verified specs for the Embraer Praetor 500

The Embraer Praetor 500 has the longest published range of any midsize jet in production: 3,340 nautical miles. Certified by Embraer in August 2019, it has since become one of the market’s best-selling midsize jets.

Its cabin isn’t the roomiest in the class. The Citation Latitude, for example, seats a couple more passengers and has a taller stand-up section. But the Praetor 500 stands out for its range and short-field access, a combination that puts it high on the list for buyers who regularly fly longer routes.

What the Embraer Praetor 500 Is

The Praetor 500 shares its fuselage cross-section with the larger Praetor 600, then carries a shorter cabin and less fuel for a lower price and a lighter airframe. Embraer built both aircraft around a full fly-by-wire flight control system, the only OEM to bring that technology to the midsize category, paired with active turbulence reduction. Two Honeywell HTF7500E turbofans power it, each rated at 7,036 pounds of takeoff thrust, a lower rating than the Praetor 600’s engines.

That shared fly-by-wire system also runs the Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System and the short-field performance that lets the Praetor 500 land at fields with less than 3,000 feet of usable runway, including London City Airport’s steep-approach requirement. Few midsize jets clear that bar.

Embraer Praetor 500 Range and Speed

Embraer publishes a maximum range of 3,340 nautical miles, which the manufacturer markets as a genuine US corner-to-corner trip, Miami to Seattle nonstop with no fuel stop. That figure sits well ahead of most midsize rivals, including the Citation Latitude’s roughly 2,700 nautical miles. High-speed cruise reaches 466 knots.

Maximum operating altitude is 45,000 feet, matching the larger Praetor 600. Takeoff distance at maximum takeoff weight runs 4,222 feet, short enough to combine with the type’s steep-approach certification and open airports most midsize jets cannot use.

Cabin Dimensions and Layout

The cabin measures 6 feet high, 6 feet 10 inches wide, and 24 feet long, with the same flat-floor design as the Praetor 600 rather than a stepped aisle. Embraer typically configures it two ways: a six-seat layout with two club seats, two forward-facing singles, and a belted lavatory seat, or an eight-seat layout that trims the galley to add a two-seat divan up front.

That flat floor and 6-foot standing height matter most on the longer transcontinental legs this aircraft is built for, where a cramped, stooped cabin turns a 5-hour flight into a genuinely uncomfortable one. Embraer’s next-generation cabin management system, standard across current production, adds voice-command lighting and temperature control that older Legacy 450 cabins lack.

What an Embraer Praetor 500 Costs

Embraer’s factory list price sat at roughly $18.4 million as of the 2025 model year, about $3.6 million below the larger Praetor 600. That gap buys 678 fewer nautical miles of range and a 3-foot-7-inch shorter cabin, a trade worth making for a buyer whose longest routine leg already fits inside 3,340 nautical miles.

A limited pre-owned market exists from the 2019 certification onward, with early units trading in the mid-to-high teens depending on hours and interior. Charter fills the gap for everyone else. Sentient Jet publishes a midsize jet-card rate of $9,434 an hour, a useful proxy since few programs quote Praetor 500 rates individually. Our jet card membership guide walks through how that published rate turns into an all-in invoice once tax and fuel surcharges are added.

Buying a Praetor 500 Today, With the E-Series Coming

Embraer announced an updated Praetor 500E alongside the 600E in February 2026, adding the same next-generation cabin management system, a 42-inch Smart Window display, and re-engineered seats with electric-assisted release. Performance is unchanged from the current Praetor 500, and Embraer has not targeted service entry before 2029.

Choose the current Praetor 500 over waiting for the 500E if you need the aircraft this decade, which covers nearly every real buyer. The decision would only flip if Embraer moved that delivery date meaningfully closer, or paired the cabin upgrade with a genuine range or speed improvement. The February 2026 announcement included neither.

Embraer Praetor 500 vs Citation Latitude vs Legacy 450

Choose the Praetor 500 when the extra range over the Latitude and Legacy 450 is worth more to you than either aircraft’s other strengths. Choose the Citation Latitude when Textron Aviation’s larger fleet and parts network matter more than 640 nautical miles of range. Choose the Legacy 450 only on the pre-owned market, where it undercuts a new Praetor 500 by roughly $3 million for nearly the same cabin, since Embraer stopped building it in 2019. See our Praetor 500 vs Praetor 600 comparison if the larger sibling’s extra range and cabin length are also on your shortlist.

When the Praetor 500 Is the Wrong Aircraft

The Praetor 500 is the wrong choice for anyone who regularly flies more than 8 passengers, since its typical cabin layouts top out there. A Citation Latitude or a super-midsize jet a tier up seats more people without adding a second aircraft.

The same fleet-depth limit that applies to the Praetor 600 applies here. Fewer fractional and jet-card programs standardize on the Praetor 500 than on the Citation Latitude, so a buyer set on this specific type has a narrower list of programs to shop than one willing to fly whichever midsize jet a card assigns.

How to Fly on a Praetor 500

Outright ownership fits a buyer flying enough hours to justify the fixed costs of crew, hangar, and insurance on top of the purchase price, generally well above 300 hours a year. Below that, on-demand charter, a jet card, or a fractional share gets you the cabin without the capital outlay. Flexjet flies the Praetor 500 across its own fractional fleet, and several jet-card programs quote it within their standard midsize category.

Start with our jet card comparison if you are weighing a program, and read the fractional ownership guide before pricing a share in this cabin class.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the range of the Embraer Praetor 500?

3,340 nautical miles, the longest range of any midsize jet in production. Embraer markets it as a genuine US corner-to-corner aircraft, capable of flying Miami to Seattle nonstop, a trip most midsize rivals cannot make without a fuel stop.

How much does an Embraer Praetor 500 cost?

Embraer's factory list price runs approximately $18.4 million as of the 2025 model year. Pre-owned examples from the 2019 certification onward trade in the mid-to-high teens depending on hours and interior. Sentient Jet publishes a midsize jet-card rate of $9,434 an hour, a useful reference for charter access to this class.

Is the Embraer Praetor 500 a midsize or super-midsize jet?

The Praetor 500 is Embraer's midsize jet. Its larger sibling, the Praetor 600, is the super-midsize model in the same family, with a longer cabin and 678 more nautical miles of range.

Can the Embraer Praetor 500 fly into London City Airport?

Yes. Its short-field performance and steep-approach certification let it use runways under 3,000 feet, which covers London City's approach requirement. Few midsize jets clear that bar, making it a genuine differentiator for buyers who need that specific airport.

The Short Verdict

The Embraer Praetor 500 is the midsize jet to buy when range and short-field access both matter more than raw seat count. It out-ranges every current-production midsize rival by hundreds of nautical miles and clears London City’s approach requirement that most of the category cannot meet, at a factory price below the larger Praetor 600. For a buyer who regularly seats more than 8 or needs the deepest possible fractional fleet, the Citation Latitude’s larger network is the easier program to actually book. Weigh your real passenger count and mission length against both before shortlisting either one.

We update this guide as aircraft, program, and route pricing changes. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it.