Embraer's KC-390 Millennium Airlifter Flies at the Farnborough Airshow 2026

As Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium continues to attract orders from around the world, the Brazilian manufacturer aims to more than double annual production from the four it delivered in 2025 to 10 a year by the end of the decade. During a media briefing before the Farnborough International Airshow, Embraer Defense and Security chief marketing officer Marcio Monteiro compared demand for the multi-role military transport to a fully booked restaurant, saying, “We are being very mindful about the investments that are needed to ramp up.”

Since Brazil’s air force received its first KC-390 in 2019, 14 aircraft are in service: eight with the launch operator, four with Portugal, and two with Hungary. The Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, and South Korea are also due to take delivery of their first aircraft this year.

Embraer counts firm orders from 11 customers, augmented by selections from Slovakia and Lithuania. On June 10, a Greek governmental committee approved the acquisition of three aircraft for the Hellenic Air Force, drawn from Portugal’s 10 options. That approval followed Embraer’s largest export order to date: a May agreement with the United Arab Emirates for 10 aircraft plus 10 options, the company’s first sale in the Middle East.

In total, almost 60 firm orders placed with Embraer could be supplemented by about 30 more covered by options. The manufacturer estimates that 230 legacy Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules aircraft are at least 45 years old and ready for replacement, fueling demand for a modern multi-role transport.