03 August 2020

Belgium's A400M conducts first flight

by Nicholas Fiorenza

Belgium's A400M made its first flight on 30 July, the Belgian air force announced on its Facebook page on 2 August. The aircraft took off from the Airbus facility in Seville, Spain, where its final assembly line is located.

Belgium's A400M made its first flight on 30 July. (Airbus)

During the flight, the production aircraft test manual was used in its entirety by Airbus test pilots, the Belgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on its website on 3 August.

The ministry said a Belgian Air Component team would begin the process of delivering the aircraft very soon, after which the aircraft can fly to the 15 Air Transport Wing's base at Melsbroek, the military part of Brussels' Zaventem international airport.

Work is underway to build a new hangar at Melsbroek for major maintenance on the A400M. The Belgian MoD said on its website on 6 July that construction of the hangar would last no longer than a year and had not been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The new building is scheduled to become operational in mid-2021.

The first Belgian and Luxembourgeois A400Ms are expected in Melsbroek this autumn, the Belgian MoD reported on its website on 3 August.

Belgium's A400M made its first flight on 30 July, the Belgian air force announced on its Facebook pa...

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