The flight took place on the morning of February 3, 2015
Exactly 10 years ago, the aircraft designed to be the new backbone of Transport Aviation in the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) made its maiden flight: the KC-390 Millennium multi-mission freighter.
The flight took place on the morning of February 3, 2015, from the Embraer factory runway in Gavião Peixoto (SP), lasting one hour and 19 minutes over an area of farms in the interior of São Paulo.
At the controls were two Embraer test pilots, including FAB Reserve Colonel Marcos Oliveira Lima, and two company flight engineers. Find out more about the inaugural flight.
The milestone date, a decade after that first flight, brings to mind the importance of all those involved in the KC-390 Millennium project since its inception, and who have made it possible for the FAB to carry out such important missions today.

Operational Capabilities
The KC-390 Millennium is a strategic freighter with the capacity to carry up to 26 tons of cargo, including heavy vehicles, equipment and even humanitarian cargo, and is capable of carrying out various missions, such as logistical air transport, in-flight refueling, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, among others. The aircraft is recognized for its high load capacity, speed and range, characteristics that position it as one of the most advanced in its category.

FAB operations
Officially received by the FAB in September 2019, the KC-390 Millennium has since been used in a wide variety of missions and is operated by the First Squadron of the First Transport Group (1st/1st GT) – Gordo Squadron – and the First Troop Transport Group (1st GTT) – Zeus Squadron.

Photos: CECOMSAER