Summary
- Netherlands and Austria’s joint order for nine C-390 Millennium transport planes finalized at FIA 2024.
- Deliveries to begin in late 2027, enabling efficient training and logistics collaboration among NATO partners.
- C-390 remains a top choice for many European nations due to its high performance and low life cycle costs.
The Netherlands and Austria have finalized a deal for nine Embraer C-390 Millennium military transports at the Farnborough International Airshow 2024 (FIA 2024). The two countries had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Embraer in April as part of a joint acquisition.
Netherlands and Austria seal C-390 deal
FIA 2024 is up and running and a steady stream of announcements have been made on Day 1. With Airbus and Boeing already bagging orders, Embraer has got its first over the line with the finalization of a joint order from the Netherlands and Austria for nine C-390 Millennium transports.
Photo: Embraer
The Dutch Ministry of Defense signed the contract during a ceremony at Farnborough today – the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) will take five of the aircraft, with the remaining four to join the Austrian Air Force. Vice-Admiral Jan Willem Hartman, National Armaments Director of the Netherlands, commended the “constructive support of Embraer” in enabling this joint deal to happen, adding,
“It is great that we can sign this agreement for both Austria and the Netherlands. I’m happy to see that we can buy these planes with the same specifications. This is a good example of collaboration in Europe between countries.”
Austria settled on the C-390 as its choice replacement for the C-130 Hercules back in September 2023, while the Netherlands revealed its acquisition of the C-390 in 2022.
Deliveries starting 2027
Deliveries to the Netherlands had initially been slated for 2026 but will now happen a year later. Last month, Dutch Defense Secretary Christophe Van der Maat said that the country’s joint agreement with Austria means the first delivery will now take place sometime in late 2027. After this, its four remaining C-390s will all be delivered before the end of the decade.
Photo: Embraer
On the plus side, sealing a joint deal will enable both countries to benefit from a lower acquisition cost per plane. The Dutch side of the deal is estimated to be worth €1.7 billion ($1.8 billion), and, when adding Austria’s acquisitions, is likely to exceed $3 billion in total.

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Both air forces will also closely collaborate on training and logistics and be perfectly positioned to partner with other NATO C-390 operators. This currently includes Portugal, operator of the first NATO-configured C-390, while Hungary and the Czech Republic have also lodged orders for the plane. There are other European nations said to be heavily interested in the C-390 too, including Finland, Greece and Sweden.
Bosco da Costa Jr, President and CEO, Embraer Defense & Security, commented,
“This aircraft is the best choice in the market, offering an unbeatable combination of high performance, advanced technology and low life cycle costs.”
Versatile, next-gen military transport
The C-390 first entered service with the Brazilian Air Force in 2019 before becoming operational with the Portuguese Air Force in 2023. There are currently just eight airframes in service – 6 with Brazil and two with Portugal (the latter recently accepted delivery of its second aircraft last month).
Photo: Affonso Martins | Shutterstock
Embraer also secured its first Asian customer for the C-390 after South Korea placed an order for three aircraft last year, with deliveries slated for 2026. The C-390 Millennium has now completed over 13,000 flight hours with a mission capable rate of 93% and mission completion rates exceeding 99%.