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Maiden flight for military transport
Source: Agencies |
December 12, 2009, Saturday
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THE A400M military transport plane that has been causing Airbus and European defense ministers budgetary and logistical headaches finally took to the skies for its maiden flight yesterday.
But even as the hulking gray plane took off from the Spanish city of Seville, defense officials are meeting on the sidelines of the event to decide how to continue with the much delayed and over budget project.
Louis Gallois, head of Airbus parent EADS, said he found the takeoff "more moving than I expected. It's enormous. We've been waiting a long time."
He disappeared into the VIP tent -- where journalists are not allowed -- when asked about cost overruns.
The A400M program was launched six years ago with an order for 180 planes from seven governments -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey. The project is running at least three years late.
The original price was 20 billion euros (US$29.46 billion), but a preliminary report by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers said EADS might need an extra 5 billion euros, a person familiar with the talks said on condition of anonymity.
Airbus CEO Tom Enders declined to talk about the A400M's funding gap, saying "I am not talking about any sums of money today, we are celebrating the first flight."
"There are ongoing negotiations," he said. "I hope we can conclude them in the weeks ahead."
The flight was to test basic functions such as the landing gear and the flaps. It marks the beginning of a three-year flight test program.
The 127 ton plane took off 15 minutes late after a few glitches with the flight instruments, said Fernando Alonso, head of Flight Operations at Airbus. It headed southwest, over the Spanish region of Extremadura.
At a briefing an hour after lift-off, Alonso said that "everything is going fine" and the crew "feel very comfortable with the airplane."
The crew, dressed in orange jump suits, are equipped with parachutes and helmets in case of an emergency.
"It's only after they land that we will be able to party," Alonso said.
EADS has asked governments to renegotiate the initial contract.
But even as the hulking gray plane took off from the Spanish city of Seville, defense officials are meeting on the sidelines of the event to decide how to continue with the much delayed and over budget project.
Louis Gallois, head of Airbus parent EADS, said he found the takeoff "more moving than I expected. It's enormous. We've been waiting a long time."
He disappeared into the VIP tent -- where journalists are not allowed -- when asked about cost overruns.
The A400M program was launched six years ago with an order for 180 planes from seven governments -- Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey. The project is running at least three years late.
The original price was 20 billion euros (US$29.46 billion), but a preliminary report by auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers said EADS might need an extra 5 billion euros, a person familiar with the talks said on condition of anonymity.
Airbus CEO Tom Enders declined to talk about the A400M's funding gap, saying "I am not talking about any sums of money today, we are celebrating the first flight."
"There are ongoing negotiations," he said. "I hope we can conclude them in the weeks ahead."
The flight was to test basic functions such as the landing gear and the flaps. It marks the beginning of a three-year flight test program.
The 127 ton plane took off 15 minutes late after a few glitches with the flight instruments, said Fernando Alonso, head of Flight Operations at Airbus. It headed southwest, over the Spanish region of Extremadura.
At a briefing an hour after lift-off, Alonso said that "everything is going fine" and the crew "feel very comfortable with the airplane."
The crew, dressed in orange jump suits, are equipped with parachutes and helmets in case of an emergency.
"It's only after they land that we will be able to party," Alonso said.
EADS has asked governments to renegotiate the initial contract.
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