The Republic of Kazakhstan has placed an order for two Airbus A400M airlifters, becoming the ninth operator of the aircraft, together with Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Malaysia and Luxembourg.
Delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for 2024, with the contract including a complete suite of maintenance and training support.
In addition to the A400M contract, Airbus and Kazakhstan have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on maintenance and overhaul services, including the creation of a local C295 maintenance center in a first step.
”The A400M will become the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s tactical and strategic airlifting operations,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “This new export contract brings the total number of A400M orders to 176 aircraft, a figure that we expect to increase in the near future. With more than 100 aircraft delivered and 100,000 flight hours in operation, the A400M has proven its capabilities, reaching a state of maturity that many potential customers were waiting for.”
With the capacity to accommodate the country’s inventory and conduct military, civil and humanitarian missions, the A400M will enable Kazakhstan to perform a range of missions. The A400M combines the capability to carry strategic loads with the ability to deliver into tactical locations with small and unprepared airstrips and can act as a frontline-tanker.
The airlifter has a range of 4,800 nm (8,900 km), 340 cubic meters of cargo space and a payload capacity of up to 37 tons. According to Airbus, the A400M can fly at an altitude of up to 40,000 ft/12,200 m for special operations.
The company recently celebrated the delivery of a milestone 100th A400M.
