A400M holder ikke spec`en

A400M Problems Overshadow Airbus Defence & Space Performance

by Chris Pocock

 - March 10, 2015, 7:31 AM

 

Military chiefs and government officials from Malaysia accepted the first of four A400M airlifters at Seville on March 9. (photo: Airbus D&S)

Revenues and earnings declined at the Defence and Space Division of Airbus last year, and a €551 million provision was made in the fourth quarter, because of delays in delivering the contracted capabilities of the A400M airlifter. Revenues at the division are now less than one-third that of the Commercial Aircraft Division. Nevertheless, at the annual results presentation late last month, Airbus group CEO Tom Enders declared that, after allowing for the A400M charge, Defence and Space had “done a terrific job…they’re the most profitable division.”

The A400M delays have led to a management shake-up. On March 1, Airbus flight-test operations chief Fernando Alonso took over as head of the Military Aircraft business unit, replacing Domingo Urena-Raso. “We need to increase our performance on the A400M, no doubt about that,” Enders told financial analysts. Airbus now says that A400M capabilities such as aerial delivery, defensive aids subsystem (DASS) and air-to-air refueling pods will be integrated “in the second half of 2015.”