Kazakhstan welcomes its first A400M
The second aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 2026. (Photo: Airbus)
The A400M was handed over at a ceremony in Almaty, after a flight from Airbus’ A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain.
Kazakhstan has received the first of two A400M aircraft, Airbus has announced.
The country placed an order for two A400Ms in September 2021. Deliveries were expected to be made around 2024-2025. The aircraft will be integrated into Kazakhstan’s fleet alongside the C295 aircraft currently in service in the Air Force.
Jean-Brice Dumont, head of air power at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “The A400M is a game changer for the Kazakh Air Defense Forces, delivering unrivalled tactical and strategic capabilities in a single platform.”
Related Articles
Kazakhstan adds two more A400Ms
Airbus confident of closing new A400M export orders after Kazakhstan breakthrough
Dumont added that the second A400M was “currently in production” and would be delivered in 2026. Airbus will also reportedly provide full maintenance and training support for the aircraft for the Kazakh Air Defense Force.
At the time of the order, Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, said that the aircraft would “become the cornerstone of Kazakhstan’s tactical and strategic airlifting operations”.
Airbus has previously stated that it expects Kazakhstan to place further orders for the platform in the future.
The aircraft has been chosen by ten different countries, with 178 orders placed in total. The A400M combines tactical and logistic mission capabilities, with a maximum payload of up to 37 tonnes and a cargo hold designed to carry outsize equipment needed for civil and military missions. It completed its 25t airdrop certification in August 2024, according to Airbus.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up]()
Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up
Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe]()
Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe
Uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) are an increasingly important tool for Europe’s law enforcement and public security agencies, with the past two years seeing rapid growth in operational deployment, procurement and regulatory acceptance.
-
![Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”]()
Fuselage of the first US Army MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor “is nearing completion”
Bell is advancing construction of the US Army’s next-generation MV-75 Cheyenne tiltrotor as FLRAA programme approaches testing, production and future battlefield deployment.
