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Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2013
International Aviation & Aerospace defence exhibition
17 - 23 June 2013
Paris, France |
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First French Air Force A400M at Paris Air Show 2013 |
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first French Air Force A400M military transport aircraft in the sky of Paris
Air Show 2013. |
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The
A400M, a long-awaited new military transport plane,
will take to the skies at the upcoming Paris Air Show before finally setting
out to conquer markets worldwide after a four-year delay. Built by Airbus
Military, the giant plane can carry helicopters, people or armoured vehicles
weighing up to 37 tonnes over 3,300 kilometres (2,050 miles) and is able
to land directly in combat areas on rough terrain, even on sand.
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The Airbus
A400M is a multi-national four-engine turboprop military transport
aircraft.
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Airbus SAS plans to use next month’s Paris air
show to bolster export prospects for its A400M
military cargo plane as it rushes to meet a mid-year deadline to deliver
the first model to the French air force.
“Le Bourget is going to be a break-out point for exports,”
Domingo Urena-Raso, the Airbus Military chief executive officer, said
in an interview, referring to the airport north of Paris where the aerospace
industry will gather starting June 17. With the A400M
now entering service, new customers will have greater confidence in
the product, he said.
Export campaigns are critical for Airbus to make money on the plane
that is unprofitable with the 174 existing orders after technical issues
delayed the program by years and increased costs. Malaysia so far is
the only export buyer for the turbo-propeller plane being built for
Germany, France, Spain, the U.K., Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg.
“Winning exports this year is not reasonable, but why not next
year,” Urena-Raso said by telephone. “I will maintain the
pressure to get that.”
Two A400Ms
are scheduled to be at the Paris show, with one participating in the
daily flight display for the first time after an engine glitch grounded
the plane during the event two years ago. Demonstration flights in potential
export markets could take place before year end, Urena-Raso said.
Procurement authorities in France are finalizing acceptance of the first
A400M before July after Airbus last year once again
delayed the handover. A delivery ceremony at the Paris show would be
an artificial deadline, Urena-Raso said.
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