Singapore AirshowUzbekistan confirmed as previously undisclosed Embraer C-390 customer
More than a year after announcing the sale of two C-390 Millennium multirole aircraft to a customer whose identity was kept confidential, Embraer confirmed on Tuesday that the country in question is Uzbekistan.
The Central Asian nation was named during the opening of the Singapore Airshow, just days after another country, Lithuania, temporarily stepped back from taking delivery of the military transport aircraft.
Uzbekistan’s name had already been linked to the order months before the contract was signed. In April 2024, Brazil’s export financing and guarantee committee (Cofig) disclosed a request for insurance coverage related to two aircraft financed by the BNDES, Brazilian development bank. In December of that year, Embraer officially revealed the sale of the aircraft, but did not identify the customer.
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According to the company, the “Uzbek Air Force will primarily use the C-390 for humanitarian and transport missions, significantly enhancing its capabilities.” Uzbekistan becomes the first operator of the aircraft in Central Asia, a region that now joins South America, Europe and Southeast Asia among the C-390’s markets.
“We officially welcome the Republic of Uzbekistan to the group of C-390 operators as the Uzbek Air Force modernizes its transport capabilities,” said Bosco da Costa Júnior, president and chief executive of Embraer Defense & Security.
C-390 Millennium customers include the air forces of Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Uzbekistan, Slovakia and Lithuania.
Lithuania, however, has postponed the signing of its contract until 2030 and may revise its requirements before then, potentially opting not to adopt Embraer’s aircraft. In the meantime, the government has chosen to upgrade its C-27J turboprop fleet.
With a small air force, Uzbekistan still relies heavily on aircraft of Russian and Ukrainian origin, including MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters, as well as An-12, An-26 and Il-76 transport aircraft. At the same time, it operates four Airbus C295 turboprops, supplied by Airbus.
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