A400M delays look likely to affect customer deliveries

Abstract

A cumulative delay of up to 6 months in the certification and first flight of the Airbus Military A400M transport aircraft may pose a knock-out effect on customer deliveries. Tom Williams, Vice-president of Airbus, stated that the company's internal target date for the first flight of May 2008 has slipped back to July that is expected to cast doubt on Airbus's ability to fulfil the delivery date to French Air Force that is the first customer. The French Air Force has accepted the initial three-month delay of the products. The first flight of the engine is originally due to take place on a specifically modified Lockheed Martin C-130K Hercules W.2 in early 2007 that has had to be delayed until November due to higher-than-expected loads, being encountered during ground-based bench testing that may result in the remanufacture of a part linking the engine to the gearbox.