First A400M delivered

Airbus Military’s A400M airlifter achieved initial operating clearance on July 31, paving the way for the delivery of the first aircraft to the French air force.

The firstA400M to be delivered – MSN7 – represents the culmination of 10 years of development by Airbus Military and more than 5,000 flight-test hours and involving close to 40,000 people working on program. The first aircraft will initially be used for the continuing training of aircrew before becoming part of the French air force operational transport fleet.

Airbus Military chief Domingo Ureña said: “Today is a truly historic day for the European aerospace industry – marking the moment at which it becomes the new global leader in the military transport sector with an entirely new aircraft. I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone at Airbus Military, Airbus and our suppliers whose unflagging efforts have made this enormous achievement possible, as well as our customers and OCCAR whose inputs over the years have been crucial to the success of the program.”

The delivery was preceded by the A400M obtaining inital operating clearance from the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), representing the program’s seven European launch nations Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Read more about the A400M in the latest issue of Australian Aviation.