Airbus has delivered 12 of the planes and has orders for 162 more, according to the company’s defense and space website. The four-engine turboprop A400M can be fitted out as a refueling tanker, a cargo plane, a medical transport or a troop transport for up to 116 people or paratroopers.
Airbus has not commented on the number of crew on the plane, but a report at The Wall Street Journal cited Spain’s prime minister who said that the crew on board appeared to be Airbus workers. In normal operation, the plane carries a crew of two or three.
The plane made its first flight in 2009 and the first delivery into service came in 2013. The first delivery was four years behind schedule and more than €7 billion over an original budget of around €13 billion. Airbus took a €551 million charge in the fourth quarter of last year related to production problems with the aircraft and replaced the head of its military division in January of this year. In early April, the company upped its production rate on the A400M from 1.5 to 2.5 aircraft per month in an effort to overcome the long delays in the program.
The actual price of the aircraft to a customer can vary widely, depending on the plane’s configuration. The single estimate we have seen is $152 million for the 116-person troop carrier. Another estimate reported at defense-aerospace.com is based on an order for 22 of the planes, with a total reported price of $3.26 billion. The report claims that works out to $192 million per plane.
ALSO READ: Airbus Tops Boeing in Order Total Through April
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