Simple Flying
Should Airbus Have Built The A400M With Jet Engines To Rival The Boeing C-17?
xCruzo Brief
The Airbus A400M “Atlas” is Airbus’s main military transport, first flying in 2009 and entering service in 2013. By January 2025, Airbus had produced 130 aircraft. Its main commercial-sales comparison is the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which entered service in 1991 and saw 279 units built by 2015. The key difference: the C-17 uses jet engines, while the A400M flies with turboprops. The question raised is whether Airbus’s engine choice limited the A400M’s appeal in a military market, or whether turboprops can still succeed, citing the C-130’s track record.
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