Embraer Phenom 300E Review: Why It Is the Best-Selling Light Jet (2026)

The Embraer Phenom 300 is a light business jet with a remarkable sales record. Embraer says it has been the best-selling light jet for 14 years in a row, and 961 had been built by the third quarter of 2026. The current Phenom 300E flies at up to Mach 0.80, carries up to 10 passengers and can be flown by a single pilot. In this review we look at it the way we review airliners: the looks, the cabin, the engines, the cockpit, range, safety, price and how it compares with its rivals, plus what changes with the new Phenom 300EV.

Quick answer: the Phenom 300E is a light twinjet from Brazil’s Embraer. It flies 2,010 nm with 5 occupants, enough for Aspen to New York or Dubai to the Maldives, costs about US$11 million equipped (2023) and is flown by private owners, charter companies and fractional operators such as NetJets and Flexjet. The upgraded Phenom 300EV, certified in August 2026, adds Garmin Emergency Autoland; deliveries are expected from 2028.

Embraer Phenom 300E Quick Facts

Sources: Embraer Phenom 300E brochure (2025); cabin size, weight, dates and price from Wikipedia: Embraer Phenom 300.

What Is the Phenom 300?

The Phenom 300 is the bigger brother of Embraer’s entry-level Phenom 100 (see our guide to every Embraer business jet). Wikipedia says customers of the Phenom 100 kept asking for a larger version, so in 2004 Embraer decided to build one. The first idea was a simple stretch, but Embraer switched to a mostly new design, with more powerful engines, swept wings with spoilers and winglets, and a longer cabin.

The prototype first flew on 29 April 2008, months ahead of schedule. Three test aircraft flew about 1,400 hours, the FAA certified the jet on 3 December 2009, and the first one was delivered on 29 December 2009. Since July 2016 all Phenoms have been assembled at Embraer’s plant in Melbourne, Florida.

From Phenom 300 to 300E and 300EV

The jet has been improved several times. In 2018 the Phenom 300E brought a redesigned interior and the touchscreen Prodigy Touch cockpit. In 2020 Embraer upgraded it again: new PW535E1 engines raised thrust from 3,360 to 3,478 lbf, top speed rose from Mach 0.78 to Mach 0.80 and range grew from 1,992 to 2,010 nm. Wikipedia says that version was certified by Brazil’s ANAC, the FAA and EASA in March 2020.

The newest version is the Phenom 300EV (“EV” stands for Evolution). AVweb reports that Embraer introduced it in July 2026 and that the FAA, EASA and ANAC certified it on 25 August 2026, with deliveries expected to begin in 2028. We cover what it adds further down.

How the Phenom 300E Looks: Exterior Design

The Phenom 300E is 51 ft 4 in (15.64 m) long with a 52 ft 2 in (15.91 m) wingspan. Wikipedia describes swept wings mounted low on the fuselage, two engines on pylons at the back and an all-composite T-tail. About 18% of the structure is made of composite materials, and it is designed to last 28,000 flights or 35,000 flight hours.

Two design choices stand out. It has no thrust reversers; instead it stops with brake-by-wire brakes with anti-skid protection. And its whole horizontal tail moves to trim the aircraft, which suits its higher cruise speed. Despite its size, Wikipedia says it can use small airports such as London City and Telluride in Colorado.

How to recognise a Phenom 300 at the airport

• A T-tail with a small fin under the tail (it carries a rudder that acts as a yaw damper)
• Two engines on pylons at the back of the fuselage
• Swept wings with upturned winglets
• Large cabin windows; Embraer says they are the largest in the class
• A built-in airstair door on the left side

The PW535E1 Engine, Explained Simply

Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535E1 turbofans each give 3,478 lbf (15.47 kN) of thrust. They belong to the PW500 family, and the 2020 upgrade made them 118 lbf stronger than the earlier PW535E. A turbofan uses a fan at the front to push most of its air around the hot core, which saves fuel and noise; our turbofan vs turboprop guide explains how it works.

Wikipedia lists fuel burn of about 763 lb (346 kg) an hour at 364 kt and about 1,005 lb (456 kg) an hour at 431 kt at 41,000 ft. That makes the trade-off clear: fly a little slower and you save about a quarter of the fuel. Wikipedia says the 300E also added a Ground Power Mode for the engines in 2018.

Inside the Cabin

The cabin is 17 ft 2 in (5.23 m) long, 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) wide and 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m) tall, according to Embraer, which says its “Oval Lite” cross-section gives the most head- and legroom in the class. That is a light jet cabin: most adults stoop to walk through it, but you sit comfortably. Embraer says it has the largest windows in its class, and the original interior was designed with BMW Group’s DesignworksUSA studio.

1. Seats and layout

A typical layout has 6 to 8 passenger seats, often four in a club arrangement facing each other around a recessed aisle. Wikipedia says up to 9 passengers can fly with two pilots and 10 with a single pilot. Options include swivelling seats and a two-person side-facing divan; adding a galley removes the seat opposite the door.

2. A low cabin altitude

Embraer says the 300E has the best cabin pressurisation in its class, with a maximum cabin altitude of 6,600 ft when flying at 45,000 ft. The lower the cabin altitude, the more oxygen you breathe and the less tired you feel after a flight.

3. A real lavatory and a big baggage hold

At the back there is a private lavatory that ground crews can empty from outside. The baggage hold holds 84 cu ft (2.38 m3); Wikipedia says it is big enough for six pairs of skis or six golf bags plus six roll-on bags and six laptop bags. Embraer calls its baggage space the largest in the category.

4. Interiors

Since 2020 buyers can choose a Bossa Nova interior option. A medical version, the Phenom 300MED, has been offered since August 2020 for new jets and as a retrofit.

The Cockpit: Prodigy Touch

The 300E uses Embraer’s Prodigy Touch flight deck, based on the Garmin G3000, with large screens and touchscreen controllers. The original Phenom 300 had a Prodigy cockpit based on the older Garmin G1000, with three 12 in displays and a keypad. Wikipedia says later aircraft added predictive wind shear warnings, a stabilised approach monitor, an Emergency Descent Mode that brings the jet down automatically if the cabin loses pressure, and Embraer’s own runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS), which warns pilots if they risk running off the end of the runway.

It is certified for single-pilot operation, so a qualified owner can fly it without a co-pilot. Embraer also lists an autothrottle, which manages engine power automatically.

Range and Performance

Embraer quotes 2,010 nm for the 300E with 5 occupants and NBAA IFR reserves, and 2,055 nm for the 300EV. The 300EV range map assumes 5 occupants of 200 lb each, long-range cruise and 85% annual winds. Embraer’s examples of trips in range include Aspen to New York and Dubai to the Maldives.

Sources: Embraer Phenom 300E brochure; weights and climb time from Wikipedia: Embraer Phenom 300.

Its short take-off distance is a big part of its appeal: 3,209 ft at maximum weight means it can use many small regional airports that larger jets cannot. Learn what take-off weight limits mean in our guide to MTOW.

What the New Phenom 300EV Adds

The 300EV is an evolution, not a new aircraft: the same cabin size, the same 6,600 ft cabin altitude and the same Mach 0.80 top speed. According to Embraer and AVweb, it adds:

• Garmin Emergency Autoland: if the pilot is incapacitated, it can choose an airport and runway, tell air traffic control what it is doing, and fly the approach, landing and stop. It can start automatically or when a passenger presses a button. Embraer says the 300EV is the largest aircraft with this system and the first light jet certified with it.
• Autobrakes, which Embraer calls class-exclusive, and rudder-by-wire controls, both run by a new Multi-Purpose Electronic Controller.
• 2,055 nm of range and about 430 lb of extra payload from a higher maximum zero fuel weight (AVweb).
• Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity, better temperature control, an air ioniser and an odourless vacuum lavatory.
• A redesigned refreshment centre, LED taxi and landing lights, and lithium-ion batteries.

Autoland matters most for owner-pilots who fly alone with family or colleagues on board. The original Phenom 300E keeps flying with the features above, and AVweb says 300EV deliveries are expected to begin in 2028.

Safety Record

Wikipedia says that, as of January 2023, the Phenom 300 had been involved in three hull-loss accidents with five deaths, In 2011 a Royal Oman Police jet’s right main landing gear collapsed after an emergency landing at Muscat, and all eight people survived. In July 2015 a Saudi-registered Phenom 300 crashed into a car park while landing at Blackbushe Airport in England, killing all four on board. In January 2023 a Phenom 300 crashed just after take-off at Provo, Utah, killing the pilot; the NTSB’s final report in April 2025 blamed icing and the crew’s failure to use the de-icing and anti-icing systems or inspect the wings.

Newer safety features, such as the runway overrun alert, predictive wind shear warnings, Emergency Descent Mode and, on the 300EV, Emergency Autoland, add more layers of protection.

Price and Who Flies It

Wikipedia lists an equipped price of about US$10.995 million in early 2023. It was the most-delivered business jet of any size in 2013, with 60, and led deliveries again in 2014 and 2015. By March 2019, Embraer said the 500th Phenom 300 had carried 2.5 million passengers on 600,000 flights in more than 30 countries. Wikipedia counts 72 deliveries in 2025 and 961 in total by the third quarter of 2026.

Operators listed by Wikipedia include NetJets and NetJets Europe, Flexjet, Wheels Up, Airshare, Air Hamburg, the UK’s Flairjet and SaxonAir, Australia’s Navair Jet Services and the Royal Oman Police.

Phenom 300E vs Its Rivals

Sources: Embraer, Textron Aviation: CJ4 Gen3, Pilatus: PC-24 technical data; Phenom cabin and PC-24 price from Wikipedia. Each maker measures range its own way.

Phenom 300E vs Cessna Citation CJ4 Gen3

The closest rival. The CJ4 Gen3 quotes slightly more range and has Garmin Emergency Autoland today, while the Phenom 300E is faster and needs about 200 ft less runway. Their cabins are almost the same size. See our Cessna Citation guide.

Phenom 300E vs Pilatus PC-24

The PC-24 is slower (440 ktas) but has a longer, wider and taller cabin, a big cargo door and approval for unpaved runways. Choose it for rough strips and bulky loads; choose the Phenom for speed. See our Pilatus guide.

Phenom 300E vs HondaJet Elite II

The HondaJet Elite II is smaller and cheaper (US$6.95 million at launch in 2022), with 1,547 nm of range and up to 6 passengers. It suits two to four people on shorter trips; the Phenom carries more people further and faster. See our HondaJet guide.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Mach 0.80: Embraer calls it the fastest single-pilot jet in production
• Low 6,600 ft cabin altitude
• Private lavatory and a large 84 cu ft baggage hold
• Short take-off (3,209 ft); London City capable
• Huge fleet: 961 built by Q3 2026
• New 300EV adds Emergency Autoland

Cons

• Cabin is too low to stand up in (4 ft 11 in)
• Slightly less range than the CJ4 Gen3
• No thrust reversers
• Autoland only on the 300EV, with deliveries from 2028

Our Verdict

The Phenom 300E has earned its sales record. It is fast, comfortable for a light jet, easy to fly with one pilot and able to use short runways, and it carries a real lavatory and plenty of luggage. Its weaknesses are those of any light jet: you cannot stand up inside, and transatlantic trips are out of reach. The 300EV closes a gap with the CJ4 Gen3 by adding Emergency Autoland, but buyers will wait until 2028 for it. For regional trips with four to six people, the Phenom 300E is still the benchmark light jet.

Key Takeaways

• Embraer says the Phenom 300 has been the best-selling light jet for 14 years in a row; 961 were built by Q3 2026.
• The Phenom 300E flies 2,010 nm at up to Mach 0.80 with up to 10 passengers and one or two pilots.
• It costs about US$11 million equipped (2023) and has a 6,600 ft cabin altitude.
• The Phenom 300EV, certified in August 2026, adds Garmin Emergency Autoland; deliveries are expected from 2028.

Frequently Asked Questions

Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of an Embraer Phenom 300 departing Coventry Airport, England by Alec Wilson from Khon Kaen, Thailand, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.