Airbus Defence & Space has completed the first flight of an A400M tactical transport produced for export customer Kazakhstan.
Conducted from its San Pablo final assembly site in Seville, Spain on 10 June, the debut involved aircraft MSN139. It made a 5h sortie, “during which time the aircraft’s engines and systems were tested”, the manufacturer says.
“As part of the certification process of the first of two A400Ms for Kazakhstan, the first engine run and taxi took place in April 2024,” Airbus says. That work took place shortly after the four-engined airlifter had emerged from the paint shop.
Sporting a glossy grey colour scheme and with the service number 21 showing beneath its temporary flight-test registration, the transport is due to be delivered during the second half of this year, the company says.
Kazakhstan will follow Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain, Turkey and the UK in fielding the 37t payload-capacity A400M, with Indonesia also to operate the type.
