Airbus has conducted a ground-breaking ceremony for the German Air Force’s new A400M Atlas military transport aircraft maintenance center at Wunstorf Air Base, Lower Saxony.
While the project’s exact budget was not disclosed, Airbus wrote the costs are “in the low three-digit million range.”
Over 500 employees will work to build the facility, with completion expected by the end of 2026. Upon its commissioning in mid-2027, some 300 personnel are expected to work at the site.
Germany and Airbus will gradually hire experts for the hub starting in 2025. Among the top roles needed are aeronautical engineering specialists.
“The A400M has been in reliable service for the German Armed Forces for over ten years,” Airbus Defense and Space CEO Mike Schoellhorn stated.
“To keep it that way, the new Airbus A400M Maintenance Center Wunstorf is an important step forward: here, we will deepen the cooperation with the German Armed Forces and further improve the availability and operational capability of the A400M.”
“The new maintenance centre will sustainably strengthen the successful cooperation between industry and the German Air Force.”
Bolstering Germany’s Tactical Transport Capability
The center will be near Air Transport Squadron 62 (LTG 62), a German armed forces wing focused on tactical aerial logistics and humanitarian aid missions.
Since its inception in 1959, LTG 62 has managed 42 A400Ms at the base.
“The A400M is an indispensable part of the Air Force – whether as a transporter, tanker or in its role as MedEvac,” German Air Force Chief Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz said.
“With the A400M, we are supporting Bundeswehr missions and NATO air forces on the eastern flank. Evacuation missions from Kabul or Sudan would not have been feasible without the A400M.”
“Similarly, we use the A400M to provide emergency aid in the event of natural disasters, as recently in Turkey and Libya. Worldwide operational readiness with our A400M fleet – that is only possible together with Airbus.”