Airbus doubles A400M production rate to claw back delivery delays

Airbus Defence and Space recently doubled the production rate of its A400M Atlas airlifter as it looks to make good on delayed deliveries.
Production at the assembly line in Seville, Spain, has now been raised from 1.25 to 2.5 aircraft per month in an attempt to address the backlog in deliveries that has built up as a result of what the company calls 'supplier problems'.
Airbus DS had planned to accelerate production to 2.5 aircraft per month at the end of 2015, but its decision to bring this forward by eight months follows on the back of failed delivery targets in 2013 and 2014. To date, only 11 of the 174 aircraft currently on order with eight nations have been delivered.
Recovering the A400M' is one of the company's eight core goals for 2015, as well as a reshuffle of the programme's top management.
With those aircraft delivered to date having been configured for a basic transportation role, Airbus DS plans to begin rolling out additional tactical capabilities leading to the release of the Full Common Standard Aircraft in 2018.
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