Turkey stands behind penalty over A400M delay

However, it underlined that the final decision on financial penalties would be made jointly with six other countries who have ordered the aircraft.

 

"Turkey is conveying its annoyance at the delay" both to OCCAR, the procurement agency for the seven countries awaiting aircraft, as well as to Airbus Military, the subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS), the undersecretariat said in a statement to AFP.

 

"Turkey expects Airbus Military to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. But the final decision on this issue will be made jointly with the countries in the A400M project," it added.

 

Last month, EADS announced that the first flight of the A400M, which had been planned for the end of the year, was postponed to an indefinite date, depending on tests on the aircraft engine and the readiness of the propulsion system.

 

Shortly before the announcement, German weekly Der Spiegel reported that EADS had threatened to freeze productions of the A400M if clients did not drop penalty clauses for late delivery.

 

The threat was made in a letter sent by Louis Gallois, the French chief executive of both EADS and Airbus, to the governments of the countries who have ordered the A400M transporters, the report said.

 

The Turkish statement said it had received a letter "explaining the delay in the delivery of the planes and its impact on the company", but gave no other details.

 

Turkey has ordered 10 A400M planes. The biggest customer in the project is Germany with 60 planes, while France has ordered 50 planes, Spain 27, Britain 25, Belgium seven and Luxembourg one.