Airbus starts construction for new A400M maintenance centre

Airbus has officially launched the construction of the new A400M maintenance centre in Wunstorf, Germany. The traditional ground-breaking ceremony on the site at Wunstorf Air Base, the base for the German Air Force’s A400M military transport aircraft, was held by Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schöllhorn together with high-ranking representatives from politics and the German Armed Forces.

Around 300 employees will service and maintain A400M aircraft at the new maintenance centre from mid-2027.

“The A400M has been in reliable service for the German Armed Forces for over ten years. To keep it that way, the new Airbus A400M Maintenance Centre 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,” said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

The A400M maintenance centre is being built right next to the air base of Air Transport Squadron 62 (LTG 62) in Wunstorf. The costs for the centre are in the low three-digit-million range. Airbus will create 300 new jobs at the A400M maintenance centre in Wunstorf. The search is mainly for aeronautical engineering personnel. According to current planning and depending on the progress of construction, the increase in personnel is to begin gradually from 2025. 

Currently, about 20 employees of the construction companies are on site; during peak construction periods, more than 500 employees may be working there. Completion of the A400M maintenance centre is scheduled for the end of 2026. Entry-into-service is scheduled for mid-2027 after approval by the German Armed Forces Airworthiness Office.