Embraer Eyes $500M KC-390 Factory at Melbourne Airport
Embraer is considering a KC-390 factory at Melbourne Airport, a plant the company estimates at about $500 million, according to Air Data News and Florida Today. Melbourne has not been selected. The U.S. military has not ordered the aircraft, and Embraer has said a U.S. production line depends on a significant order from the U.S. government.
What Embraer Said About a KC-390 Factory at Melbourne Airport
Alvadi Serpa Junior, Embraer's vice president of market and product strategy, raised it on September 24, 2026 in a presentation to the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. He said Embraer will likely have a factory in the United States, put the investment at around $500 million, and said it "could come to Melbourne." He showed a map of Embraer's complex at Melbourne Orlando International Airport that marked adjacent land for future development.
After the presentation, Embraer told Florida Today that a U.S. factory would go through a nationwide site selection if the project moves ahead, Air Data News reported. Embraer has said a large enough U.S. order could support more than $500 million in investment and about 1,200 jobs.
Embraer opened its first U.S. aircraft assembly plant in Melbourne in 2011 and assembles Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 business jets there. In February 2026 it announced a partnership with Northrop Grumman to pursue U.S. sales of the aircraft and to develop a refueling boom for a tanker version. That agreement was announced in Melbourne.
The Embraer Warehouse Is a Separate Project
The airport authority recently approved an agreement covering additional land for a new Embraer warehouse and related facilities. Air Data News reports that project is separate from the potential factory.
Reach lists industrial and warehouse space for lease in Brevard County. To talk through a property near Melbourne Orlando International Airport, call 321-514-0876 or use the contact page.
Sources
Air Data News, October 2, 2026: Embraer considers Melbourne for future US KC-390 assembly line: the September 24 presentation, the $500 million estimate, the site selection statement, the 2011 Melbourne plant, the Northrop Grumman partnership, the order condition, and the warehouse land agreement.
Florida Today, September 28, 2026: Embraer Melbourne Orlando National Airport in running for $500M KC-390 factory, but no decisions yet: the original report. Subscription required.
Written by Cassandra Hartford, founder and CEO of Reach Commercial Real Estate. She has worked in Brevard County commercial real estate for 17 years, representing buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants across Florida's Space Coast.
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