Embraer delivers first C-390 transport aircraft to Czech Republic
The Czech Air Force has received its first Embraer C-390 Millennium at Prague Kbely Air Base. The aircraft is the first of two ordered to expand Czech strategic and tactical airlift capacity.
Embraer has delivered the first C-390 Millennium multi-mission transport aircraft to the Czech Air Force during a ceremony at Prague Kbely Air Base.
The handover took place less than two years after the Czech Ministry of Defense signed a contract for two aircraft in October 2024. The acquisition also covers training, support, spare parts and assistance with the type’s introduction into Czech service.
The C-390 will provide the Czech Armed Forces with the ability to transport troops, military vehicles, equipment and oversized cargo over longer distances. It can also support medical evacuation, humanitarian assistance, firefighting, search and rescue, personnel and cargo airdrops, and disaster response missions.
Czech officials said the aircraft will strengthen national transport capacity while improving the country’s ability to support NATO operations. The platform is also designed to operate from temporary and unpaved runways, increasing its utility during deployed and emergency missions.
The C-390 has a maximum payload capacity of 26 metric tons and a maximum speed of approximately 470 knots, according to Embraer. With removable air-to-air refueling equipment installed, the aircraft can operate as both a tanker and a receiver.
The delivery represents a significant expansion of Czech military airlift capacity. The Czech Air Force currently relies on smaller Airbus C-295 aircraft for tactical transport, while the C-390 introduces the ability to move heavier cargo and larger vehicles without depending entirely on allied or commercially contracted strategic transport.
The new fleet will be operated from the 24th Air Transportation Base at Prague Kbely. The delivery ceremony was attended by senior Czech government and military officials, including Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna, Chief of the General Staff General Miroslav Hlaváč and Czech Air Force Commander General Petr Tománek.
The program also has an industrial component for the Czech aerospace sector. Aero Vodochody has participated in the C-390 supply chain since the aircraft’s development, producing rear fuselage sections, doors, hatches, the cargo ramp and fixed leading-edge components. The Czech order is expected to increase local industry’s share of the program.
This industrial participation gives Czech companies exposure to a growing international aircraft program rather than limiting domestic involvement to maintenance of the national fleet. It may also support longer-term cooperation in production, sustainment and future upgrades.
The C-390 is gaining a broader position in the European military transport market. Portugal and Hungary already operate the aircraft, while the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Slovakia have also selected or ordered the platform. This expanding user group could create opportunities for common training, maintenance and logistics arrangements among European NATO members.
For the Czech Republic, the acquisition reduces a capability gap in the transport of heavy equipment and personnel. It also provides Prague with a nationally controlled aircraft that can contribute to alliance deployments, evacuation operations and civil emergency response.
The delivery schedule for the second Czech C-390 was not detailed in the announcement.
