Embraer marked the 50th year in operation for the EMB 110 Bandeirante twin-engine turboprop on Thursday. The model entered service with the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB/Brazilian air force) on Feb. 9, 1973. In total, 498 EMB 110s were delivered to customers in 36 countries before production ended in 1990.
“The aircraft was a milestone for the development of regional aviation worldwide and the first commercial success of the Brazilian aeronautical industry abroad,” said Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto. “Robust and versatile, the result of an innovative project for the time, the Bandeirante was produced in versions for civil and military use, and it fills us with pride to know that many units are still in operation today.”
Authorized by Brazil’s Ministry of Aeronautics in 1965, the Bandeirante was developed under the IPD/PAR 6504 aeronautical project. The prototype flew for the first time on Oct. 22, 1968. Versions of the aircraft have been used for missions including regional passenger service, cargo transport, flight instruction, search and rescue, military reconnaissance and humanitarian support.
