Airbus to open new military conversion center in Seville

European aircraft manufacturer Airbus will open a conversion center in Seville, southern Spain, to transform A330 airliners into military A330 MRTT refueling aircraft, its Airbus Defence and Space division announced Wednesday, AFP reports.

This new center, scheduled to become operational at the end of 2027, will complement Airbus' current facilities in Getafe, near Madrid, and will allow the number of civilian aircraft to be converted into military aircraft to increase from five to seven each year, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The A330 MRTT is used for in-flight refueling of fighter jets, as well as for transporting troops and equipment and for medical evacuations.

The Seville conversion facility, where Airbus already has a factory, will also provide maintenance and modernization services for A330 MRTT aircraft already in service.

"Choosing Seville is a strategic decision," said Airbus Spain president Francisco Javier Sanchez Segura.

According to him, the Andalusian capital has the necessary industrial infrastructure and expertise, thanks in particular to the assembly lines for the A400M and C295 military aircraft.

Airbus plans to modernize the facilities to adapt them to military conversion operations, with investments in hangars, industrial processes and training for local personnel.

The Getafe plant will maintain a coordination role between the two centers.

With 91 orders from 19 countries, Airbus controls around 90% of the global market for tanker aircraft outside the United States.

The European group's announcement comes amid a sharp increase in defense budgets in Europe since the start of the war in Ukraine and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Airbus has more than 14,000 employees in Spain, including around 3,500 at its factories in Seville and Cadiz.

The Airbus Group is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. Airbus offers a wide range of passenger aircraft, from 100 to over 600 seats, and also supplies helicopters, tankers, combat aircraft, transport aircraft and other missions. Airbus is present in Romania with all three divisions: Airbus Helicopters Romania and Premium Aerotec in Brașov and Airbus Defense and Space in Bucharest.

PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA