Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer today announced that it has completed its C-390 Millennium contract with the Hungarian Air Force, handing over a second multi-mission airlifter during a ceremony at Kecskemet Air Base on 21 November 2025. This delivery makes Hungary the first global customer to receive all C-390s on its order book, and it cements the carrier as the model’s second NATO operator. The new aircraft joins the first model, which was delivered to the nation last year and entered service in the final months of 2024.
Together, this pair of versatile aircraft gives Hungary a modern and highly available transport and tanker capability that has been tailored for everything from frontline logistics to humanitarian missions. In certain situations, the aircraft can even be configured for medical evacuation roles.
A Dynamic Transfer That Mirrors The Aircraft’s Mission Readiness
The second C-390 was formally handed over at Kecskemet in the presence of Hungarian defense minister Kirstof Szalay-Bobrovniczky, alongside other senior Embraer executives, something which underlines the political weight attached to the program. Hungary ordered two aircraft, which are equipped with a modular roll-on/roll-off Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the first such configuration anywhere in the world, which allows for rapid conversion between airlift and critical care medical evacuation roles.
Since the first aircraft entered service in late 2024, the jet has flown a diverse tasking profile with a mission completion rate above 99%. With a second jet now in service, the Hungarian Air Force can split tasks across the pair, increasing surge capacity for critical NATO missions and disaster response by simplifying training, logistics, and maintenance efforts. In a statement published by Embraer, Hungarian defense minister Szalay Bobrovniczky had the following words to share:
“This is a truly uplifting and joyful moment, an incredibly important event in the development of the Hungarian Air Force. And I can say with certainty that the Hungarian people have become richer and stronger as a result. This type of transport capability was lacking in the Hungarian Air Force’s arsenal, but now it is available. Thank you very much to everyone who contributed to this process.”
Transforming Hungarian Tactical Airlift Capabilities
This completed two-aircraft fleet closes a capability gap that opened once the nation retired Soviet-era An-26 transports, leaving Hungary reliant on chartered lift and multinational C-17 Globemaster III aircraft for missions. These C-390s restore a sovereign, medium-lift backbone that can help Hungary efficiently move troops, vehicles, and relief cargo at jet speeds while operating even off short and semi-prepared runways.
Just as important as this is the aircraft’s role as a medical evacuation aircraft. The roll-on/roll-off Intensive Care Unit (ICU) module allows the Hungarian Defense Forces to turn the aircraft into flying ICU wards within hours. This will allow the model to support complex evacuations from crisis zones or overseas deployments.
Combined with full NATO-compatible avionics and communications, the aircraft gives Hungary a flexible platform for everything from Alliance airlift rotations and exercises to rapid disaster relief within Central and Eastern Europe. The aircraft offers a high availability record, promising predictable readiness even under sustained tempo and demanding multinational tasks alike.
Embraer Sells 2 C-390 Millennium To Undisclosed 10th Nation
Embraer has secured another sale of two C-390 to an unnamed tenth customer (which could be Morocco).
A Strategic Win For Embraer’s European C-390 Campaign
This completed Hungarian fleet also carries symbolic weight for Embraer as it works to entrench the C-390 in Europe’s crowded medium airlift market. Budapest was an early European adopter of the type, signing for two aircraft in 2020 prior to becoming the first customer anywhere on the planet to receive all models that it had ordered.
This milestone gives Embraer a fully operational NATO reference user alongside Portugal and adds momentum to more recent commitments from the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. For potential buyers, Hungary can now showcase real-world performance data, including high dispatch reliability, intensive-care medical evacuation operations, and complete integration into Alliance missions.
At the same time, closer industrial and training ties between Embraer and regional partners promise to reinforce life-cycle support. The result is ultimately a higher-profile, proven platform that will feature prominently in upcoming replacement contests for legacy C-a30s and other aging tactical transports all across Europe.
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