Spain receives first MRTT aircraft
The first of three A330 MRTT aircraft for Spain seen during pre-delivery trials ahead of its formal handover on 11 April. (Airbus)
Spain has received the first of three Airbus Defence and Space (DS) A330-200 MultiRole Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft it ordered in 2021, the manufacturer announced on 11 April.
The handover took place at Airbus DS's MRTT conversion facility at Getafe, Madrid, with the aircraft being formally accepted in service with the Spanish Air and Space Force's 45th Group at TorrejĆ³n Air Base/MadridāTorrejĆ³n Airport.
For Spain's programme, Airbus has converted three former Iberia A330 aircraft to the military MRTT standard (including a medical evacuation kit) at Getafe. As noted by Airbus, the second and third Airbus A330 MRTTs for Spain are undergoing conversion at Getafe. The 45th Group has so far used these unconverted A330s to transport military personnel and equipment, including in the āPacific Skies' exercise in 2024 and the evacuation of Spanish nationals from Niger and Sudan.
Prior to receiving its first MRTT, Spain had no strategic tanker-transport capability since retiring the last of its Boeing 707 platforms in 2016. The service's tanker duties were performed by the Airbus DS A400M Atlas, and its personnel transport role by the Airbus DS C295, A400M, and A310-304 platforms, as well as the Dassault Falcon 900B.
The MRTT can carry more fuel (111 tonnes) over a greater distance (14,800 km) than all its competitors, and can do all of this without losing any of its seating (291 passengers) or underfloor cargo space (45 tonnes) to auxiliary fuel tanks.
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