A400M at Findel
After its first flight on 13 April 2020, A400M serial CT01 (construction number MSN104) was delivered from its birthing ground Seville/San Pablo airport to Findel (Luxembourg) on 7 October 2020.
The aircraft was welcomed during a ceremony and received a traditional watering by fire trucks before being parked in front of the VIPs. The Luxembourg aircraft, worth 197 million euros, is the first for the 15th Air Transport Wing at Brussel-Melsbroek of the Belgian Air Component (BAF, Belgian Air Force). The 15th is a binational unit alongside Belgian's future own A400M fleet. The first aircraft for Belgium, serial CT02 (MSN106), is in the final stages of completion and is due to follow shortly after.
After its first stop at Findel, CT01 will continue its journey to Melsbroek, where the binational airlift unit between Belgium and Luxembourg will be based. With this delivery, Luxembourg becomes the seventh A400M operator of the Atlas. The 15th Air Transport Wing will get seven A400Ms ordered by Belgium, its first aircraft is expected in the coming weeks.
The event marks the start of the replacement of the C-130H fleet of the Belgian Air Component. While Luxembourg will share its CT01 with Belgium, the small European country is also continuing its efforts in the air sector. Besides the well-known Luxembourg registered E-3 AWACS fleet at Geilenkirchen, the country so far ordered H145Ms for the Police (but cancelled the acquisition of own military helicopters on 29 September 2020) as well as it reinforced the NATO Support and Acquisition Agency with a new Airbus A330 tanker. An option exercised thanks to Luxembourg which decided to maximize its participation in the multinational MRTT fleet program (MMF) with an increase from 200 to 1,200 hours of flight hours contracted.
As a reminder, Luxembourg had no air force since the withdrawal of three Piper PA-18 Super Cub light observation aircraft in 1968.
Photos: Coert van Breda