Yesterday, the Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) / Brazilian Air Force, signed a contract for the acquisition of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft from Azul Linhas Aéreas. FAB purchased the two aircraft for approximately $80 million.

Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) purchases two Airbus A330-200

The Força Aérea Brasileira (FAB) purchased the two aircraft which are compatible with the military version of the A330, the Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT). According to the contract signed by FAB and Azul Linhas Aéreas, Azul will have up to 90 days to deliver the first aircraft and up to 150 days to deliver the second. In the coming weeks, FAB will begin conversations with Airbus for the conversion of the commercial aircraft to the MRTT configuration. It is estimated that the first aircraft will be ready and in operation in 2024.

FAB (Força Aérea Brasileira) Embraer C-390 Millenium
Brasil's air force has a large fleet of the Embraer C-390 Millenium. Photo: Gabriel Melo | Aeroflap

The two aircraft will be registered as FAB 2901 and FAB 2902 and will be operated by the Segundo Esquadrão do Segundo Grupo de Transporte (2º/2º GT) – Esquadrão Corsário (Second Squadron of the Second Transport Group - Corsário Squadron). The Airbus aircraft will be used for humanitarian missions as well as military exercises, including refueling in midair, logistical transport of passengers and cargo, and medical evacuations as needed.

The last aircraft that FAB operated that was capable of this variety of functions was the Boeing 707-345C-H, which last flew in 2013. Today, the majority of FAB's fleet consists of the Embraer C-390 Millenium, which is used for passenger and cargo transport, parachute jumping, and can be used for air assault.

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History of the Aircraft

The two Airbus A330 aircraft belonged to Avianca before being acquired by Azul. The Manufacturer Serial Numbers for the two A330s are MSN 1492 and MSN1508.

MSN 1492, the newer of the two aircraft, first flew on April 14, 2014 and was delivered to Avianca in October of the same year. MSN1492 was then registered as N941AV. In November of 2017, the aircraft was transferred to Avianca Brasil and registered as PR-OCJ. MSN1492 was acquired by Azul Linhas Aéreas in 2019, after Avianca Brasil went bankrupt and ceased operations. The A330 was registered as PR-AIS with Azul.

Azul Airbus A330neo VCP
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying.

MSN 1508 first flew on March 14, 2014, and was also delivered to Avianca in October 2014. The aircraft was registered as N508AV in Colombia, and in July 2017 was transferred to Avianca Brasil where it was registered as PR-OCK. The aircraft was soon returned to leasing company Titan Airways.

Latest news - Azul Linhas Aéreas

Azul will be hosting an event tomorrow at its Azul Conecta hangar in Jundiaí, in the state of São Paulo. The airline will be taking delivery of its 5th Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft. Azul Conecta is a regional product that is operated on Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft and is meant to connect passengers between small cities and larger hubs.

I will be traveling to the event tomorrow, so stay tuned for an article about the event. Next week, I will have the opportunity to try out Azul's Conecta product, so stay tuned for that as well.