António Costa and Lula da Silva flew in the first Embraer KC-390 of the Portuguese Air Force

The Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, and the Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, flew today in the Portuguese Air Force's first Embraer KC-390. The flight took place between Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, in Porto and Alverca. In Alverca, Lula da Silva visited OGMA - Indústria Aeronáutica de Portugal, a company in which Embraer has a majority shareholding.

Portugal acquired five KC-390 aircraft from the Brazilian construction company, having presented the first of these aircraft on 19 October, a device that still operates with the Brazilian registration PT-ZDK.

The new KC-390 will replace the current Hercules C-130 is an aircraft that performs missions of transporting troops and dropping cargo, aerial refueling, fighting forest fires and search and rescue.

The current contract provides for the delivery of one aircraft per year until 2027.

The KC-390 integrates components manufactured in Portugal, specifically at Embraer facilities in our country, including the two factories in Évora and OGMA in Alverca. The agreement also covers the purchase of a flight simulator and aircraft maintenance for the first 12 years of operation.

The current KC-390 will carry out the integration of NATO equipment in Portugal and receive national certification, a process that should be completed in March 2024.

The first FAP crew completed the qualification course on the KC-390 in November 2021.