Embraer has delivered the first C-390 Millennium to the Uzbekistan Air Force, an aircraft originally intended for the Brazilian Air Force before being reassigned to the Central Asian customer.
The handover took place on Friday at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto facility in Brazil. Uzbekistan becomes the first C-390 operator in Central Asia and is due to receive a second aircraft under a contract signed in December 2024.
The first Uzbek aircraft carries the registration UK39010 and is manufacturer serial number 39000019. Fleet records show the same airframe was originally allocated the Brazilian Air Force serial FAB 2861 but was not taken up by the service.
Instead, MSN 39000019 was completed for Uzbekistan. It made its first flight from Gavião Peixoto on August 6 using the test registration PT-CYQ before appearing in its new customer’s markings.
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Brazil reduced original C-390 order
The reassignment comes after Brazil reduced the size of its C-390 acquisition.
The Brazilian government originally ordered 28 KC-390s in 2014. After years of negotiations over the delivery schedule and budget constraints, Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force agreed in 2022 to reduce the order to 22 aircraft.
Another agreement announced in November 2023 cut the commitment to 19 aircraft, establishing a revised delivery schedule extending through 2034.
The change left aircraft that had been associated with the original Brazilian production sequence available for other customers. MSN 39000019 ultimately became the first C-390 for Uzbekistan rather than FAB 2861.
Uzbekistan was initially kept secret
The Uzbek order also spent more than a year without its customer being publicly identified. Embraer announced a contract for two C-390s with an undisclosed customer on December 27, 2024, including training, support and spare parts.
It was only at the Singapore Airshow in February 2026 that the manufacturer revealed Uzbekistan as the buyer.
The Uzbekistan Air Force plans to use the C-390 primarily for transport and humanitarian missions. The aircraft can carry up to 26 metric tons and can also perform missions including troop transport, airdrop, medical evacuation, search and rescue and firefighting.
Uzbekistan’s delivery comes during a major expansion of the C-390 customer base. Embraer’s confirmed customers now include Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, while Sweden, Slovakia, and Colombia have also selected the aircraft.
The United Arab Emirates placed the largest international order for the C-390 in May, signing for 10 aircraft with options for another 10.
