Kazakhstan became the ninth country to procure Airbus A400M with its order of 2 such aircraft, joining the ranks of Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey, and United Kingdom. Airbus announced the development on 2 September.
According to the contract, the first plane will be delivered in 2024, with a comprehensive maintenance and training support included. A memorandum of understanding was also signed alongside A400M procurement contract, to create a local C295 maintenance centre. 9 such aircraft, also by Airbus, serve in various capacities for Kazakhstan’s government.
Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space commented as follows: “The A400M will become the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s tactical and strategic airlifting operations. 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.”