The Republic of Kazakhstan’s first A400M has completed its maiden flight, Airbus revealed on Monday.
The Central Asian country ordered the tactical transport aircraft from Airbus in September 2021 when it placed an order for two turboprops.
The A400M production number MSN139 took off from the Airbus Defense and Space facility in Seville, Spain, for a five-hour flight.
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According to the company, the aircraft flew “over the regions of Huelva and Seville, south-west Spain, during which time the aircraft’s engines and systems were tested”.
The first #A400M aircraft for the Republic of Kazakhstan has taken to the skies for the first time, a key milestone ahead of its delivery in the second half of 2024.
The Airbus A400M, production number MSN139, took off from Airbus Defence and Space facilities in Seville, Spain.… pic.twitter.com/gZDqCFhKjZ— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) June 10, 2024
With the capacity to carry up to 37 tons of payload, the A400M will be delivered to the Kazakhstan Air Force in the second half of the year.
The aircraft displays a shiny gray paint job with prominent emblems, very different from the more discreet standard of other operators such as France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain, among others.
The Kazakh Air Force has a varied fleet of transport aircraft. The main aircraft is the C295, of which it has nine aircraft acquired from Airbus.
There are also eight Antonov An-24/26, two An-72 and an old four-engine turboprop An-12 and its Chinese version, the Y-8, possibly the aircraft that could be replaced by the A400M.
