Portugal Signs Agreement For Sixth C-390, 10 Purchase Options

The Portuguese government has signed an amendment in its contract with Embraer to purchase a sixth KC-390 airlifter and has added 10 purchase options that could be used by other nations.

The addition of the sixth aircraft will bolster the capabilities of the Portuguese Air Force by “substantially increasing the availability of tactical and logistical transport,” Gen. João Cartaxo Alves, the service’s chief of staff, said following the contract signing on Sept 17.

Portugal has already taken delivery of three KC-390s from its original order of five and pushed the aircraft into frontline use, airlifting equipment in support of United Nations (UN) missions in Africa and backing NATO missions into Eastern Europe.

With its experience on the platform, the Portuguese Air Force is offering other nations the chance to partner with it through the purchase options and provide specialized training at newly established facilities in Beja, where the Portuguese KC-390 fleet is based.

“The signing of this contract, the first of its kind by an operator, demonstrates the recognition of the quality, operational efficiency and multimission capability of our aircraft,” said Bosco da Costa Júnior, president and CEO of Embraer Defense and Security.

Portugal’s plans to expand its fleet were first announced at the Paris Air Show. The country was the first European operator of the C-390 family and has since been joined by Hungary, which has received its first aircraft.

The airlifter has also been ordered by Austria, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, and has been selected by Lithuania, Slovakia, and Sweden.