Embraer sells new C-390 to Portugal, adds new aeromedical evacuation unit for the Netherlands

Concept art of a C-390 transport aircraft embossed with Czech Air Force markings (Embraer)

PARIS AIR SHOW — Embraer this week made news with its C-390 Millennium aircraft, with Portugal adding to its existing buy and the company announcing a new aeromedical evacuation system for the aircraft, with the Netherlands as its launch customer.

On Monday, the company announced that Portugal was expanding its C-390 buy by a single aircraft, to be delivered in 2029, bringing their total to six. More notably, Portugal announced that it had placed 10 options on future C-390 buys, which could be shared with other NATO members.

Those options will “enable greater cooperation between operators with mutual benefits … for training and logistics,” according to Bosco da Costa Jr., the head of the Brazilian firm’s defense arm.

The reason for putting those options down now, said Gen. João Guilherme Rosado Cartaxo Alves, the head of the Portuguese Air Force, is because of concerns that production slots on the Millennium could fill up in the near future, and “we probably will need more airplanes for us, but also for our allies.”

Those options could also allow Portugal to buy to-come variants of the C-390, including a special operation or ISR configuration, he said.

Across NATO, “there will be a strong requirement for strategic airlift and probably some of our closest partners will have slots earlier with us,” he added.

Asked about potential customers for those options, da Costa said “We have some,” naming Slovakia and the Netherlands as countries who could move to expand their buys.

Overall, da Costa said, “We are forecasting the next 20 years, demand for this type of platform around 500 units. KC-390 could capture ‘a good portion of this. … I think we can sell a lot. That’s our goal.”

RELATED: Embraer ready to step up KC-390 tanker investment for US, pending NGAS decision

Embraer notched another sales win for the aircraft on Tuesday, revealing that it had signed a contract with the Netherlands for a new aeromedical evacuation model for the aircraft.

The deal includes a single module for the Netherlands, which signed a joint deal for nine C-390s with Austria in 2024, as well as seven options for aeromedical systems that can be shared by NATO allies. Terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed.

“Other C-390 super will be from now on capable to add this kind of capability inside of the C-390 with  potential common benefits in training, maintenance and operation,” da Costa said.

The aeromedical module will allow the Royal Netherlands Air Force to provide life saving care and transportation for injured troops, and is a self-contained unit that can be rolled on and off the C-390 through the aircraft’s rear ramp.