The Turkish Air Force’s first A400M completed its initial flight in August 2013.(Photo Airbus DS)
March 23, 2015 By Burak Ege Bekdil – Defense News
ANKARA — The deliveries of two A400M military transport aircraft for Turkey, scheduled for this year, are facing delays, procurement officials here said.
The delay will result in penalties for the maker of the aircraft, Airbus Group, the officials said.
"The penalties specified in the contract can be cash payment or free equipment and services," one official said.
The official did not specify how long the delays are expected to be but said latest estimates show "they will probably be annoying enough but not as bad as the previous ones."
In 2003, Turkey signed a deal for a batch of 10 A400Ms, with final deliveries scheduled for 2018. Last year, two aircraft were delivered with two more to be received in 2015.
The delays in 2014 sparked a dispute between Airbus and the Turkish government. Turkey accused Airbus of failing in its delivery timetable, and Airbus accused Turkey for using delays for bargaining.
The latest A400M delivery to Turkey was formalized in December at Airbus consortium's final assembly line in Seville, Spain. The aircraft landed in the 12th Air Transportation Main Base Command in Erkilet in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri. Turkey's first A400M was delivered last April, following months-long controversy over whether the aircraft met technical specifications.
Other A400M client nations are Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Spain and Britain.
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