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Philip Smart | Adelaide

Airbus is continuing the A400M flight test program, declaring that it will not ground the test aircraft unless evidence from the May 9 crash of an aircraft at Seville that killed four people and injured two suggests the Atlas is not safe to fly.

Airbus conducted its first post-accident test flight on May 12, when development aircraft MSN4 took off from Toulouse in France and landed at Seville in Spain 1hr 50 min later. This was a regular test that was scheduled before the accident.

The Spanish military authorities informed Airbus Defence and Space on 12 May that, as a precautionary measure and pending the accident investigation, they have temporarily suspended the licence to undertake flights with the production aircraft that are in preparation for delivery, but this does not apply to the three test aircraft currently in service.

The Spanish authorities have confirmed that both black boxes from the crash aircraft have been found. Airbus and other suppliers are in a support role and will provide all necessary expertise and information to help the investigation.

Airbus Defence and Space technical advisors are providing full assistance to the official investigation committee. The investigating authority is the Spanish Ministry of Defence.

At the same time the company is providing all appropriate care and support to the families of the four employees who lost their lives and two who were injured, as well as to the two injured survivors themselves who remain in hospital.

Airbus Defence and Space owns five A400M test aircraft of which three are currently in service and the other two have been retired. These five aircraft have accumulated more than 2700 flights and over 7500 flight hours. Customers have additionally accumulated more 2,000 hours on aircraft in service.

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