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A Delta 757 returned to Atlanta shortly after takeoff after pilots reported smoke and fumes in the cockpit, donned oxygen masks, and told passengers to brace for landing. The plane landed safely, but after smoke was reported in the back of the aircraft, nearly 200 passengers evacuated by slides on a taxiway before continuing to Orlando on a replacement aircraft.
Allegiant Travel Company reported solid second-quarter 2026 financial results on August 4. The numbers show the strength of its leisure-focused model. They also reflect the early impact of its Sun Country Airlines acquisition, which closed on May 13. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(119); }); Key Financial Highlights GAAP results showed a loss of $0.21 per share. This included one-time costs tied to the Sun Country deal . On an adjusted basis, diluted earnings per share reached $2.19. That marked a 78 percent increase from the year-ago period. Consolidated operating revenue hit $943.5 million. This was up 36.9 percent from the prior year. The total includes Sun Country results for roughly seven weeks. Standalone Allegiant revenue set a quarterly record at $776.2 million. It rose 16.1 percent even as the company flew 6.8 percent fewer available seat miles. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(127); }); Unit revenue proved especially strong. Allegiant’s total revenue per available seat mile climbed 24.6 percent year over year to a record 14.42 cents. Adjusted operating margin for Allegiant alone expanded 0.4 percentage points to 9.0 percent. This improvement came despite a sharp rise in fuel costs. Image Credit: Sun Country Airlines Leadership Comments and Integration Progress CEO Greg Anderson highlighted the resilience of the business. “Our record quarterly revenue and strong second-quarter operating margin, achieved despite materially higher fuel costs, demonstrate the strength and resiliency of Allegiant’s business model,” he said. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(128); }); He noted that adjusted earnings per share of $2.19 beat guidance. Strong operations and the partial-quarter contribution from Sun Country drove the upside. Anderson also expressed confidence in the combination. The company expects to deliver at least $140 million in annual run-rate synergies within three years of the deal’s close. Integration is progressing well, he added. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(129); }); Commercial Initiatives Commercial initiatives supported the results. Cobrand credit card remuneration rose 23.6 percent to $41.2 million. In July, Allegiant signed a 12-month exclusive distribution deal with Expedia Group. This marks its first authorized online travel agency partnership. The company also announced plans for Allegiant First, a premium seating option set to debut on select aircraft in spring 2027. Complimentary inflight beverages began on August 1. Photo Credit: Allegiant Outlook and Guidance Looking ahead, leisure demand remains solid. Management expects third-quarter unit revenue growth for the combined company to roughly match the 24.6 percent gain seen by standalone Allegiant in the second quarter. The company plans to trim off-peak flying while protecting peak schedules amid fuel volatility. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(130); }); Full-year 2026 adjusted earnings per share guidance stands at more than $6.00. This outlook includes Sun Country and reflects current fuel prices. For the third quarter, the company guided to adjusted earnings per share between a $1.00 loss and break-even. System capacity is expected to decline about 6.5 percent year over year on a pro forma combined basis. Conclusion Liquidity remains healthy. Consolidated available liquidity totaled $1.3 billion at quarter-end. This included $1.1 billion in cash and investments plus undrawn credit facilities. Net debt stood at $1.7 billion. ezstandalone.cmd.push(function () { ezstandalone.showAds(131); }); Allegiant continues to position itself as a leading leisure airline. The addition of Sun Country expands its reach across passenger, charter, and cargo operations. With strong demand, commercial momentum, and synergy potential, the company enters the second half of the year on solid footing.
For decades, the Boeing 767 has been one of the defining aircraft of the global air cargo industry. It has become the backbone of fleets operated by dedicated cargo carriers, freight specialists, and airlines that found new life for aging passenger aircraft through passenger-to-freighter conversions. Its combination of payload, range, operating economics, and widespread availability made it the obvious solution for operators seeking a medium-capacity widebody freighter.
Australia's second busiest international gateway, Melbourne Airport (MEL) will see an increase of around 32% more Airbus A380 services this coming Southern Hemisphere summer season. Dubai-based Emirates operates two daily double-decker services from its home at Dubai International Airport (DXB), alongside a daily Singapore Airlines superjumbo service from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) which recommenced in March this year.
Nearly 11,000 flights were delayed or canceled Friday as thunderstorms hammered the Northeast and air traffic control staffing problems made recovery harder. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed controllers calling out sick, but FAA advisories throughout the day suggest weather was the primary driver, with staffing constraints becoming a compounding problem rather than the whole story.
What should have been the end of a happy weekend celebrating a friend’s wedding in Arizona turned into a living nightmare when Patience Gore, a Zimbabwian national, was detained by three undercover ICE agents at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) and subjected to two weeks of ‘degrading confinement’ in immigration custody before a court ordered her release. Gore is now accusing United Airlines of colluding with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after one of the carrier’s gate agents in Phoenix repeatedly made announcements for Patience to go to the gate where the ICE agents were lying in wait. United Airlines is said to have colluded with ICE in detaining Patience Gore at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The incident occurred late on Sunday, March 15, when Patience and her partner arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor to fly home to Maryland after a busy weekend celebrating a friend’s wedding. They were booked on United flight UA-483 to Washington Dulles, and had checked in, dropped off their luggage, and obtained their boarding passes without any issues. The couple then went through TSA security and waited in the departures concourse for their delayed flight to be ready to board. During this time, Patience heard a voice over the airport’s intercom system repeatedly imploring: “Passenger Patience Gore, please come to the gate.” Patience couldn’t work out why she would be needed at the gate, as she and her partner had checked in with plenty of time to spare, and they both had their boarding passes. During bag drop, no issues had been raised by the United agents, but Patience dutifully made her way to Gate E7. On her arrival, the United gate agent repeatedly referred to Patience’s boarding pass. At this point, three male undercover ICE agents who weren’t wearing any visible identification or badges suddenly surrounded Patience and made it clear that she wasn’t free to go. Patience was eventually led out of the airport and transported to a detention facility in Florence, Arizona, where she was held for three days before being transferred to the Eloy Detention Center. There, she was forced to sleep on a mattress placed directly on the floor, subjected to repeated lockdowns, and denied a change of clothes or basic personal necessities, a lawsuit filed against United alleges. She was detained for two weeks before a court ordered her release after concluding that she had been previously granted a withholding of removal and that her removal to Zimbabwe is unlikely to occur in the near future. The detention did, however, mean that Patience missed a round of IVF treatment that she was scheduled to undergo at home. A replacement cycle did not result in pregnancy. In a new lawsuit filed in an Arizona district court, Patience makes it clear that United is banned from communicating with law enforcement, including ICE, and, where necessary, sharing data about its passengers. The lawsuit does, however, claim United “retained control over how it exercised its own passenger announcement authority and used that authority in a manner that created the appearance of legitimate airline business when no airline-related issue was identified.” Patience alleges that the presence of the ICE agents at the gate, along with the repeated announcements and the fact that the gate agents quickly lost interest in Patience once they had identified her from her boarding pass, shows that she was being called to the gate solely for the purpose of her detention. United is being sued for negligence because of the misleading use of passenger announcements and false imprisonment. Patience is requesting damages and punitive damages, with the total claim to be more than $75,000. United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Two late passengers in high heels ran onto the airport ramp at Moscow Sheremetyevo to chase their Aeroflot aircraft after boarding had ended and the plane was already being towed away. Ground workers and police stopped them, but the stranger question is how they got through a secured door and close enough to interrupt ramp operations in the first place.
A Delta 757 returned to Atlanta shortly after takeoff after pilots reported smoke and fumes in the cockpit, donned oxygen masks, and told passengers to brace for landing. The plane landed safely, but after smoke was reported in the back of the aircraft, nearly 200 passengers evacuated by slides on a taxiway before continuing to Orlando on a replacement aircraft.
The Airbus A350 has become one of the world's premier long-haul airliners, serving flagship routes for airlines across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Alongside its quieter cabin, lower cabin altitude, higher humidity levels, and wider fuselage, the aircraft has also become a showcase for some of the aviation industry's most advanced premium cabins.
Concorde flew paying passengers for nearly 28 years between 1976 and 2003, carrying up to 100 passengers at Mach 2 across the Atlantic in 3 hours, 30 minutes. The aircraft is remembered for its speed, its exclusivity, and the experience of flying at 60,000 feet (18,288 m) at the edge of space. Whether it was actually comfortable is a different question, and the answer depends on what the word means in the context of a flight that lasted less time than a drive from Manhattan to the Hamptons on a Friday afternoon.
The first of 14 VIP-configured Airbus A321neo aircraft arrived to Delta Air Lines last week, which the airline will soon operate for the National Basketball Association (NBA). These planes will be a welcome replacement for the airline's flying pencil, the Boeing 757-200 . For Delta, the 757-200s for the NBA are leased from Aviation Capital Group and are at least three decades old.
Apollo and Castlelake had both been given a 7 August deadline to firm acquisition interest. US investment firm Apollo Management has agreed to a £5.7 billion ($7.7 billion) recommended offer for EasyJet , shortly after potential rival bidder Castlelake disclosed it would not be making a formal bid for the UK budget carrier. Apollo had appeared in pole position to acquire EasyJet after the latter's board signalled its intent to back the proposed £7.15-per-share acquisition. That came after the carrier had previously outlined its intention to support a potential offer from another US investment firm, Castlelake, based on a £6.90-per-share acquisition. Both suitors were given until 7 August to put forward binding offers and, shortly after Castlelake disclosed it had dropped out of the running, Apollo now says it has agreed a recommended offer for EasyJet based on a price of £7.15 per share. The offer has been made through Eagle Bidco, a company indirectly owned by Apollo Funds and managed by Apollo Capital Management and its affiliates. In a statement outlining the offer, Apollo says it represents an 81% premium on EasyJet's share price of 28 May, and a 22% premium on its highest closing price in the four years before that. "The EasyJet board has carefully evaluated the proposal from Apollo alongside EasyJet’s standalone prospects,” says EasyJet chair Stephen Hester. “While we remain confident in the strength of our business and the opportunities ahead, we believe this offer appropriately recognises the quality of the business we have built and delivers immediate, certain and attractive value for shareholders.” Antoine Munfakh, partner and deputy global head of Private Equity at Apollo, says: “Our partnership with EasyJet will draw upon Apollo’s extensive experience investing in and growing businesses in the airline sector, bringing capital and deep operational and strategic expertise to support the team in generating long-term, sustainable growth. "We are committed to supporting the EasyJet Group in reaching its full potential.” Apollo says it has also secured irrevocable undertakings supporting the offer from Stelios Haji-Ioannou and his family, which together account for over 15% of the carrier's share capital. “I am pleased with Apollo’s strategic intentions for the EasyJet business, which aim to create more growth,” says Haji-Ioannou. “The fact that Apollo, as one of the most well-resourced and experienced institutional investors in the world, has decided to back and grow EasyJet, the leading member of the easy family of brands, is testament to the strength of the Easy brand and the business model of EasyGroup.” Haji-Ioannou adds that he and his family intend to remain invested as “ long-term major shareholders” of EasyJet. Apollo expects the acquisition to complete by the end of the first quarter of 2027. Earlier investment firm Castlelake said it had opted against making a formal offer for the carrier. "Castlelake is very appreciative of the constructive engagement with the EasyJet board and management team, and would like to thank them for their time and consideration of this potential transaction,” it says.
The market for small narrowbodies has traditionally been smaller than the one for mainline aircraft, but it's still a space with significant demand. Embraer has long been a dominant player, with its E-Jet family having received nearly 2,000 orders since its launch. Still, the company's refreshed E2 family has sold in relatively low numbers, as the Airbus A220 (formerly the Bombardier C Series) has been grabbing market share.
Delta Air Lines passengers were forced to evacuate a Boeing 757-200 on escape slides at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) following an emergency landing. On August 8, 2026, the Delta Air Lines flight left Atlanta at 07:35, for Orlando International Airport (MCO) but diverted back to ATL shortly after takeoff. In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that smoke was reported in the cockpit of the Boeing 757-200, registered N555NW. Once the aircraft landed back at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, the passengers disembarked via emergency slides onto the taxiway. It is understood that there were 199 passengers and six crew members on the flight. A staff member and a passenger required medical attention. A Delta flight was evacuated Saturday morning at the airline's main hub in Atlanta after the crew reported fumes on board the plane shortly after takeoff. Nearly 200 passengers evacuated via the emergency slides on the runway and boarded a different plane to Orlando. pic.twitter.com/3jcDVuTuE4 — CBS News (@CBSNews) August 8, 2026 In a voice recording with air traffic control a Delta pilot can be heard saying that there is "smoke in the back" and "we need to deplane immediately". According to Flightradar24 , the passenger jet reached around 9,650 feet before reducing altitude and initiating a diversion. "The flight crew followed procedures to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after reports of fumes in the flight deck," Delta Air Lines said. "A slide evacuation occurred on a taxiway, and customers are being reaccommodated on a new aircraft. Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience." The FAA said it is investigating the incident. RELATED Trump pick David Cummins sworn in as eighth TSA Administrator
What should have been the end of a happy weekend celebrating a friend’s wedding in Arizona turned into a living nightmare when Patience Gore, a Zimbabwian national, was detained by three undercover ICE agents at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport (PHX) and subjected to two weeks of ‘degrading confinement’ in immigration custody before a court ordered her release. Gore is now accusing United Airlines of colluding with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after one of the carrier’s gate agents in Phoenix repeatedly made announcements for Patience to go to the gate where the ICE agents were lying in wait. United Airlines is said to have colluded with ICE in detaining Patience Gore at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. The incident occurred late on Sunday, March 15, when Patience and her partner arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor to fly home to Maryland after a busy weekend celebrating a friend’s wedding. They were booked on United flight UA-483 to Washington Dulles, and had checked in, dropped off their luggage, and obtained their boarding passes without any issues. The couple then went through TSA security and waited in the departures concourse for their delayed flight to be ready to board. During this time, Patience heard a voice over the airport’s intercom system repeatedly imploring: “Passenger Patience Gore, please come to the gate.” Patience couldn’t work out why she would be needed at the gate, as she and her partner had checked in with plenty of time to spare, and they both had their boarding passes. During bag drop, no issues had been raised by the United agents, but Patience dutifully made her way to Gate E7. On her arrival, the United gate agent repeatedly referred to Patience’s boarding pass. At this point, three male undercover ICE agents who weren’t wearing any visible identification or badges suddenly surrounded Patience and made it clear that she wasn’t free to go. Patience was eventually led out of the airport and transported to a detention facility in Florence, Arizona, where she was held for three days before being transferred to the Eloy Detention Center. There, she was forced to sleep on a mattress placed directly on the floor, subjected to repeated lockdowns, and denied a change of clothes or basic personal necessities, a lawsuit filed against United alleges. She was detained for two weeks before a court ordered her release after concluding that she had been previously granted a withholding of removal and that her removal to Zimbabwe is unlikely to occur in the near future. The detention did, however, mean that Patience missed a round of IVF treatment that she was scheduled to undergo at home. A replacement cycle did not result in pregnancy. In a new lawsuit filed in an Arizona district court, Patience makes it clear that United is banned from communicating with law enforcement, including ICE, and, where necessary, sharing data about its passengers. The lawsuit does, however, claim United “retained control over how it exercised its own passenger announcement authority and used that authority in a manner that created the appearance of legitimate airline business when no airline-related issue was identified.” Patience alleges that the presence of the ICE agents at the gate, along with the repeated announcements and the fact that the gate agents quickly lost interest in Patience once they had identified her from her boarding pass, shows that she was being called to the gate solely for the purpose of her detention. United is being sued for negligence because of the misleading use of passenger announcements and false imprisonment. Patience is requesting damages and punitive damages, with the total claim to be more than $75,000. United Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Military exercise taking place when descending aircraft struck mountain ridge during visual approach in darkness. US investigators have yet to determine why a Beechcraft C90 King Air ambulance fatally crashed into high terrain during a night visual approach in New Mexico, at a time when military jamming was taking place in the area. The National Transportation Safety Board stresses that it is still probing the 14 May accident, which left no survivors from two pilots and two nurses on board. But the aircraft had been attempting to descend from 12,000ft towards Sierra Blanca regional airport, near Ruidoso, which lies at an elevation of about 6,800ft. Although the aircraft's crew had initially intended an area navigation approach – which requires satellite-based positioning – to runway 24, they opted to switch to an ILS approach owing to the loss of GPS navigation capability. But neither the area navigation nor the ILS approach procedure was authorised if no local altimeter setting had been received, and NOTAM information stated that Sierra Blanca airport's automated weather system was out of service. The aircraft had been directed to fly northwest in preparation for a vectored approach. While about 27nm northeast of Sierra Blanca airport, however, the crew informed the area controller that they had "a visual on Ruidoso" and could "go visual". This meant turning southwest and descending over the Capitan mountains – which rise to some 10,200ft – in darkness and zero moonlight, just after midnight. Nearly 5min after commencing the descent, the aircraft had reached the mountain ridge and – according to its Spidertracks flight-tracking equipment which provided GPS-generated altitude data – was flying at 9,400ft. The aircraft subsequently began climbing but, about 45s later, it collided with terrain at about 9,950ft. Complicating the inquiry is the fact that military GPS jamming activity was taking place near the White Sands missile range, and the Albuquerque area control centre had issued a NOTAM warning that it could interfere with GPS navigation and ADS-B. This has generated speculation in various media channels that the King Air's GPS equipment might have been providing false information to the crew. But amid these suggestions, the National Transportation Safety Board insisted on 5 August that it has "not yet determined the probable cause or any contributing factors". It points out that it validates and analyses "all available evidence" before reaching conclusions. There is evidence that GPS and ADS-B data from the flight was affected. The crew reported losing GPS capability shortly after departure, and requested headings. While Spidertracks GPS-based data was generated for the whole flight, there was only a partial ADS-B record owing to the reporting frequency substantially reducing for much of it. The Spidertracks data typically indicated altitudes 600ft higher than the ADS-B data. As area centre controllers sought to vector the aircraft they requested that the military jamming exercise cease temporarily. ADS-B reporting frequency returned to normal shortly afterwards. Jamming was permitted to resume when the aircraft's pilots confirmed they would make a visual approach to Sierra Blanca airport, and began their descent. Investigators state that at least three other aircraft in the vicinity reported a loss of GPS around the same time as the King Air. Generation Jets had been operating the 47-year old aircraft (N249CP), working with its partner Trans Aero MedEvac which provided the medical support personnel.
Spirit opened its new $250 million "Spirit Central" corporate campus in 2024, complete with training facilities, employee housing, and space for more than 1,000 workers. Now, in bankruptcy, a stalking horse bidder is offering just $88 million for much of the nearly brand-new headquarters complex — an extraordinary markdown for a project that symbolized how far the airline had drifted from its ultra-low-cost roots.
Anyone convinced that aircraft ownership is only for the affluent, or that working for FBO line wages is no longer a viable plan to support flight training, ought to chat with Mike McCoy, a 31-year-old private pilot who lives in Mentor, Ohio.
A few weeks ago, it emerged that flight attendants at United Airlines who are using their ‘non-rev’ staff travel privileges might soon be able to occupy one of the most comfortable flat beds on board the Chicago-based carrier’s international widebody aircraft fleet. And, no, we don’t mean a Polaris Business Class seat. We’re referring to something far more comfortable and spacious… the secret crew bunks, or what is officially called the ‘Overhead Flight Attendant Rest’ or OFAR on Boeing 777s and 787 Dreamliners. The idea behind the policy is that non-rev flight attendants who have been left with a jumpseat because every seat is otherwise occupied by a fare-paying passenger will now be able to get some rest during a long-haul flight – something that is almost otherwise impossible if you’re stuck on a pull-down jumpseat. While some other U.S. airlines, including non-unionized Delta Air Lines, have allowed their non-rev jumpseating flight attendants to use crew bunks for several years, the opportunity has only now been opened up to United Airlines flight attendants following an agreement between the carrier and the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) as part of the successful conclusion of very lengthy contract negotiations. But there was a delay in actually implementing the benefit because the union needed to lock down a policy to make it as fair as possible. Thankfully, that policy has now been agreed. Here’s how it will work: The crew bunks (or crew rest seats on aircraft without bunks) will only be offered to flight attendants who have been assigned a jumpseat. If a non-rev passenger has been assigned any type of passenger seat, that’s where they have to stay. The bunks will only be available for use by United Airlines flight attendants. If a flight attendant for another airline is jumpseating, then they can’t use the crew bunks, even if they are trained on that aircraft type. Dependent on the aircraft type and the number of crew actually working the flight, there may or may not be a spare bunk that can be used. And no, flight attendants can’t share bunks. If there is more than one non-rev jumpseater, then use of the bunks will go in seniority order. The bunks can only be occupied when the aircraft is at an altitude of at least 15,000 feet on Boeing 787s and 25,000 feet on Boeing 777s. For taxi, takeoff, ascent, descent, and landing, non-rev crew have to be in their jumpseat. Non-rev flight attendants need to be careful not to disturb the working crew when they are taking their assigned breaks. United Airlines managers, even those who have gone through flight attendant training, aren’t allowed to occupy the bunks as part of this policy. Even when there aren’t enough crew rest seats or bunks available for non-rev flight attendants when the working crew is taking their breaks, that doesn’t mean they can’t still be used. A non-rev traveler could use the bunks during the first and second meal service, and then sit on their jumpseat during the assigned crew breaks. Every flight attendant who works on widebody aircraft will have their favorite bunk, so you can probably imagine there being some type of coordination with the international purser over which bunks the non-rev travelers are allowed to occupy, so as not to annoy the working crew. The bunks of the Boeing 777-300 are generally regarded as one of the best OFAR facilities, with every bunk being equal in the amount of space available and the threat of noise disturbance from the cabin. In contrast, the Boeing 787 has some bunks that are slightly more private, and one bunk that is slightly roomier… but additional space comes at the expense of peace as it is located right above the galley area. While not a concern for United’s flight attendants, one of the most hated crew bunks are one the Airbus A380, and, specifically, a module that was built in the cabin on the main deck. These bunks are not only pretty cramped, but they also carry every bit of sound from within the cabin.
The Boeing 747 may have ended its commercial production run, but two of the most consequential examples ever built remain deep inside a modification program that has stretched years beyond its original timetable. Boeing 's two purpose-built VC-25B presidential aircraft, which are the long-awaited replacements for the US Air Force's aging VC-25As, were originally expected to be delivered by the end of 2024. Instead, the first aircraft is now scheduled for roughly mid-2028, while the second is expected around mid-2029, according to the latest program reporting summarized by Yahoo Finance .
While Brazil is typically not considered a 'Western' country, its Embraer C-390 Millennium is part of the Western supply chain, and it is marketed to various Western countries as an alternative to the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules. It is seen as a geopolitically acceptable military aircraft for NATO allies to purchase in a way that Chinese and Russian military aircraft are not.
Embraer announced on August 4, 2026, that the Fuerza Aeroespacial Colombiana (FAC) has signed a contract for two KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft, making Colombia the first Latin American customer for the type outside Brazil and the 13th nation to order it. The FAC put the value of the contract at $366.4 million at fixed prices, with execution spread over four years. The package covers the two aircraft, mission equipment, initial training for pilots, maintenance technicians and mission support personnel, ground support equipment, and 24 months of integrated logistics support. Embraer said the deal also includes an offset program structured to meet Colombian regulatory requirements. Deliveries are scheduled for 2029 and 2030, with the first aircraft to be ferried from Embraer's Gavião Peixoto plant to CATAM air base in Bogotá. Replacing an aging Hercules fleet The purchase falls under the FAC's heavy tactical military transport requirement, part of a modernization plan the force ties to its Air and Space Development Strategy 2042 (EDAES 2042), formulated in 2019. Colombia's tactical airlift currently rests on a small fleet of Lockheed C-130B and C-130H Hercules, operated since the late 1960s and supplemented over the years by second-hand US transfers. That fleet came under scrutiny after a C-130H registered FAC-1016 crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo on March 23, 2026, killing 70 of the 126 people on board. The decision was not entirely free of controversy. President Gustavo Petro directed the FAC to conclude negotiations with Embraer in July 2026, according to Infodefensa , before the force had completed a technical comparison that also included the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and Airbus A400M. The FAC nevertheless maintained that its selection followed technical, legal and financial analyses conducted by its own personnel. Tanker role and Gripen interoperability Two Brazilian Air Force F-39E Gripen fighters refuel simultaneously from an Embraer KC-390 Millennium. (Credit: Embraer) Embraer said the aircraft will be delivered with connectivity allowing them to operate alongside the 17 Gripen E/F fighters Colombia ordered from Saab in November 2025 under a €3.1 billion contract. The KC-390 can be fitted with removable air-to-air refueling equipment, allowing it to serve as either tanker or receiver. Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, said the company was "honored by the FAC's decision to select the KC-390 Millennium," pointing to a relationship dating back more than 35 years to Colombia's purchase of the EMB-312 Tucano and later the A-29 Super Tucano. Embraer says the KC-390 carries up to 26 tons of payload at speeds of up to 470 knots and can operate from short or unpaved strips. Beyond Brazil, the type has been selected by Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic, Uzbekistan, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Slovakia and Lithuania [though the latter postponed the procurement – ed. note]. The Czech Air Force received its first aircraft on July 16, 2026.
