Airbus Sees Increasing Demand For A400M Fleet
Airbus Defence and Space sees that its A400M is gaining traction across the region, driven by rising demand for versatile air mobility solutions in Asia-Pacific.
LANGKAWI, May 21 (Bernama) -- Airbus Defence and Space sees that its A400M is gaining traction across the region, driven by rising demand for versatile air mobility solutions in Asia-Pacific.
Its head of Asia-Pacific Zakir Hamid said the company is currently in discussions with several governments and is confident the aircraft's footprint will continue to grow.
He said Malaysia remains Airbus's third-largest market in Asia-Pacific, after China and India.
bootstrap slideshow
'For Airbus Defence and Space, a cornerstone of this partnership is the A400M programme, where Malaysia has played a pioneering role as the first export customer in the world.
'This year marks 10 years of A400M operations with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), a milestone that reflects the aircraft's reliability and versatility. With over 13,000 flight hours, the RMAF is currently the most active A400M operator globally,' he told a media briefing in conjunction with the 2025 Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) here today.
Malaysia's fleet of four A400Ms has supported missions ranging from military deployments and peacekeeping to humanitarian relief during events such as the 2018 Palu earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Zakir also confirmed that Indonesia is on track to receive its first A400M in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the aircraft already painted and progressing through fuel and ground tests.
Airbus is also exploring options to expand the RMAF's A400M fleet, in line with its growing operational tempo and integration of advanced fighter aircraft.
At LIMA, Airbus announced a new milestone with the RMAF for an expanded in-service support contract for the air force's A400M fleet, which includes increased spare parts provisioning, enhanced services, and future upgrades to ensure continued operational readiness.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
Airbus signs fresh deal with Chinese partner amid talk of massive China order
Airbus has signed a new cooperation deal with its Chinese partner that will see the company localise more production of its A321 jet in China, with the announcement coming just ahead of a key China-Europe leaders' summit. The European aviation giant will work with its partner AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group to start fuselage equipping – installing components onto the front and rear parts of an aircraft – for the A321 at its factory in Tianjin under the agreement. The programme is an extension of the companies' similar cooperation on the A320 and sends a positive signal in the run-up to next week's summit in Beijing, where some analysts predict Airbus may sign a 'mega-deal' worth tens of billions of dollars. 'It has expanded the scope of cooperation between both parties in the manufacturing of Airbus single-aisle aircraft, and is also an important measure by Airbus to continuously implement its localisation strategy,' George Xu, CEO of Airbus China, told state media outlet Xinhua News on Tuesday. 'China's supply chain is an indispensable part of the global aviation industry, showing strong resilience and competitiveness,' he said. The front and rear of the first A321 to undergo fuselage equipping in Tianjin were shipped to the factory at the beginning of the month, and Airbus expects the installation of the components to be completed by October. The whole process includes incoming inspection, insulation installation, bracket installation, as well as installation and testing of electrical, electronic, drainage, oxygen, flight control and hydraulic systems, according to an Airbus statement published on Tuesday. The Tianjin factory also houses Airbus' first commercial aircraft assembly line outside Europe. Inaugurated in 2008, it assembled and delivered its first A321 aircraft in 2023. Airbus and AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group first agreed to work together on this new project during the Zhuhai Air Show in 2023, following their successful cooperation with the A320 model. Since 2021, when that earlier programme started, AVIC Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group has delivered 104 A320 aircraft body parts to Airbus, according to the statement. China's three major state-owned airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines – placed an order for 292 Airbus A320neo aircraft in 2022. The deal, worth about US$37.2 billion, was the biggest single aircraft order in the airlines' history. There has been market speculation that China might announce a deal of a similar magnitude with Airbus during the China-European Union summit in late July. However, no official confirmation of a deal has been announced so far, and relations between Beijing and Brussels remain tense ahead of the summit, which has reportedly been cut from two days to just one. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
13 hours ago
- The Star
King grants royal assent to 20 Acts, including Media Council and Parliamentary Services law
KUALA LUMPUR: The Bernama (Amendment) Act 2025, Parliamentary Services Act 2025, and Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 are among 20 Acts that have received royal assent from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said other Acts include the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2025, Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025, Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025, Labuan Companies (Amendment) Act 2025, and Labuan Trusts (Amendment) Act 2025. Also granted royal assent were the Labuan Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment) Act 2025, Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2025, Online Safety Act 2025, and Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (Amendment) Act 2025. "The Agong has also assented to the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Amendment) Act 2025, Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Fund (Amendment) Act 2025, Supplementary Supply (2024) Act 2025, and Constitution (Amendment 2) Act 2025. "Also approved were the Fire Services (Amendment) Act 2025, Government Services Efficiency Commitment Act 2025, and Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) Act 2025," he said during the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Monday (July 21). Separately, in his proclamation at the start of the Second Meeting the same day, Johari announced that the sitting will run for 24 days, with a key focus on the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). As such, he said this parliamentary sitting is expected to extend into the night to allow Members of Parliament ample time to debate and discuss the core elements of the 13MP. "Key matters to be debated and considered during this session include Bills, motions related to the 13MP, the Auditor-General's Report 2/2025, and the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam)," he said. He also thanked all MPs who supported the enactment of the Parliamentary Services Act following its royal assent. He said the Act has restored the autonomy of the Malaysian Parliament, strengthened the country's democracy and reinforced the principle of separation of powers. Johari also reminded all MPs that they are required to undergo health screenings by Nov 7, as implemented in the previous sitting. He said the screenings are crucial in helping them detect early health issues and take prompt preventive measures. The Second Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament begins Monday and runs until Aug 28, with the tabling of the 13MP by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim scheduled for July 31. - Bernama
Barnama
13 hours ago
- Barnama
King Grants Royal Assent To 20 Acts, Including Media Council And Parliamentary Services Law
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 (Bernama) -- The BERNAMA (Amendment) Act 2025, Parliamentary Services Act 2025, and Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 are among 20 Acts that have received royal assent from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said other Acts include the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2025, Sabah Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025, Sarawak Labour Ordinance (Amendment) Act 2025, Labuan Companies (Amendment) Act 2025, and Labuan Trusts (Amendment) Act 2025. Also granted royal assent were the Labuan Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Partnerships (Amendment) Act 2025, Legal Profession (Amendment) Act 2025, Online Safety Act 2025, and Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (Amendment) Act 2025. 'The Agong has also assented to the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities (Amendment) Act 2025, Tunku Abdul Rahman Foundation Fund (Amendment) Act 2025, Supplementary Supply (2024) Act 2025, and Constitution (Amendment 2) Act 2025. 'Also approved were the Fire Services (Amendment) Act 2025, Government Services Efficiency Commitment Act 2025, and Employees Provident Fund (Amendment) Act 2025,' he said during the Dewan Rakyat sitting today. Separately, in his proclamation at the start of the Second Meeting today, Johari announced that the sitting will run for 24 days, with a key focus on the tabling of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP). As such, he said this parliamentary sitting is expected to extend into the night to allow Members of Parliament ample time to debate and discuss the core elements of the 13MP. 'Key matters to be debated and considered during this session include Bills, motions related to the 13MP, the Auditor-General's Report 2/2025, and the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM),' he said. He also thanked all MPs who supported the enactment of the Parliamentary Services Act following its royal assent.
