First Kazakh Air Force A400M makes maiden flight
The inaugural Airbus A400M Atlas for the Republic of Kazakhstan has made its maiden flight, described by Airbus Defence and Space as “a key milestone ahead of its delivery in…
June 11, 2024
The inaugural Airbus A400M Atlas for the Republic of Kazakhstan has made its maiden flight, described by Airbus Defence and Space as “a key milestone ahead of its delivery in the second half of 2024”.
Following the new aircraft’s first engine run and taxi tests in April of this year – part of the certification process of the first two A400Ms for Kazakhstan – its first flight took off from Airbus’ facilities in Seville, Spain; remaining airborne for five hours.
The Republic of Kazakhstan first placed an order for two units in September 2021, becoming the type’s ninth operator along with Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium, Malaysia and Luxembourg. CEO of Airbus Defence and Space previously described the A400M as set to “become the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s tactical and strategic airlifting operations,” with total orders for the platform currently standing at 178. 126 have thus far been delivered.
The A400M is described by its manufacturers as “the most advanced, proven and certified airlifter available;” offering better range, speed, altitude and payload performance than previous generation tactical airlifters across military, civil and humanitarian missions.
