On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, Brazilian company Embraer (Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica) announced that the first scheduled maintenance check after 24 months of service has been completed on the first of two Hungarian C-390 Millennium transport/tanker aircraft, at the facilities of Portuguese company OGMA – Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal in Alverca do Ribatejo in the Lisbon District.
The aircraft measures 33.5 m in length, has a wingspan of 33.9 m, and a height of 11.4 m. Maximum take-off weight is 87 t, with a payload of 26 t. Cargo hold dimensions are 18.5 × 3.0 × 3.4 m. Range with a 23-tonne payload is 2,815 km. Powered by two IAE V2500-E5 turbofan engines developing 139.4 kN of thrust each, it reaches a cruising speed of 870 km/h and a service ceiling of 11,000 m. / Photos: Embraer
The fact that the work was carried out outside Brazil represents a key milestone for the C-390 program and further strengthens the support structure for these aircraft in Europe. This milestone is a continuation of the maintenance and support agreement for operational support (technical and logistical) of the Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Légierő) C-390 Millennium fleet, recently signed by Embraer on February 4 of this year.
“The completion of this first C-390 Millennium maintenance at OGMA marks an important milestone for our operations,” said Brigadier General Tamás Bali PhD, Commander of the Hungarian Air Force. “We are very satisfied with the overall execution and the high level of technical expertise demonstrated by the teams. The close collaboration between the Hungarian Air Force, OGMA, and Embraer ensured a smooth and well-coordinated process. We are highly satisfied with the outcome and the level of support provided throughout the activity.”
“This maintenance event for the Hungarian Air Force’s C-390 Millennium is a significant step in strengthening our support capabilities in Europe,” said Douglas Lobo, VP Customer Support & Aftermarket Sales, Embraer Services & Support. “Working together with OGMA, we delivered a robust and efficient service that supports operational readiness and long-term customer satisfaction. This achievement reinforces our commitment to delivering reliable, high-performance capabilities to customers in Europe and worldwide.”
The service agreement between Embraer and the Hungarian Air Force covers maintenance, logistics, and technical support, utilizing Embraer’s European service network. On November 12, 2024, Hungary, the second NATO operator of C-390 aircraft after Portugal, became the first country to receive all contracted aircraft, currently operating two units. Since entering service in late 2024 (with delivery on September 5 of that year), the first Hungarian aircraft has performed a wide range of missions with a mission completion rate exceeding 99%.
The aircraft are based at the 59th Dezső Szentgyörgyi Air Base in Kecskemét in Bács-Kiskun County, within the 101st Aviation Brigade, and are tasked with heavy cargo transport and airdrop, troop transport, parachute operations, medical evacuation of critically injured personnel, and other tasks carried out in support of the armed forces and other public services.
The Hungarian aircraft will be the first C-390s produced to be equipped with an intensive care unit for humanitarian missions, and will be certified for in-flight refueling of JAS 39C Gripen multirole aircraft of the Puma Fighter Squadron. The Hungarian Ministry of Defence ordered both aircraft on November 17, 2020, under the Zrinyi 2026 modernization program, in the KC-390 transport/tanker variant (Gripen E certified for in-flight refueling from KC-390 Millennium).
The C-390 Millennium stands out as the most capable aircraft in its class, designed to perform complex missions in the most demanding conditions. Designed and built in the 21st century to meet current and future threats, this medium multirole transport and tanker aircraft offers outstanding performance, operational flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. Its capabilities include aerial refueling, Agile Combat Employment, and rapid response across a wide range of mission profiles.
In addition to Hungary, since 2014 Embraer has received C-390 Millennium orders from: Brazil (19 units contracted, down from the original 27), Portugal (6 units with an option for 10 more), the Kingdom of the Netherlands (5 units), Austria (4 units), the Republic of Korea (3 units), the Czech Republic (2 units), Sweden (4 units with an option for 7 more), an undisclosed customer (2 units; initially suspected to be Morocco, but according to the manufacturer’s latest information this is Uzbekistan – ed.), and the United Arab Emirates (10 units with an option for 10 more). Additionally, 3 aircraft each are to be ordered by Slovakia and Lithuania – contracts have not yet been signed (with Vilnius having postponed its decision in January 2026 to after 2030 and planning to upgrade its C-27J Spartan fleet by 2036). Greece recently announced the purchase of three aircraft.
The aircraft are currently being promoted in the Saudi market, in India together with the Mahindra group under the MTA program estimated at 40-80 units, across the broader Asian market, and in Poland, where the manufacturer’s demonstrator aircraft visited twice: on December 2, 2025, at Warsaw Chopin Airport, and on March 13 of this year at the WZL-2 in Bydgoszcz. Together with Northrop Grumman, the aircraft is also being offered in the US as an aerial tanker with a boom refueling system. In summary, of the 47 production aircraft ordered, 14 have been delivered to date, and the fleet has already accumulated over 20,000 flight hours.
NEWS | Embraer and OGMA conclude first C-390 Millennium maintenance for the Hungarian Air Force. Read full news: https://t.co/hkfSCkVBZa pic.twitter.com/JBcVweVBPK
— Embraer (@embraer) June 23, 2026