Aviation Airbus weighs production of military aircraft parts in UAE By Pramod Kumar March 5, 2025, 10:17 AM Airbus Airbus is considering establishing maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for the A400M in the UAE European planemaker Airbus is exploring the possibility of manufacturing components and setting up a maintenance facility for the A400M, a military transport aircraft, in the UAE. The plan includes integrating local entities – including EPI, part of defence company Edge Group, and Strata, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi investment vehicle Mubadala – into the A400M’s global aerospace supply chain, state-run Wam reported reported, quoting Gabriel Sémelas, president for Africa and the Middle East at Airbus. He said that Airbus is looking to establish maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for the A400M and a training centre in the country. No details were given on the proposed location and investment in the facility. Sémelas said job creation and skills development are cornerstones of Airbus’s localisation strategy through robust training and technical support initiatives. Airbus expects Middle East aircraft fleet to double by 2043 Flynas secures $132m to acquire 3 A320neo aircraft Aircraft shortages lead Gulf carriers to brace for disruption Airbus sells sizeable numbers of civilian aircraft to state-owned UAE carriers such as Etihad and Emirates Airlines. Airbus Defence and Space signed an agreement with Edge Group to launch the production of a specialised fuel tank for the C295 transport aircraft, Wam reported in In November. Last month Airbus said it expects fleet sizes in the Middle East to more than double in the 18-year period to 2043, the world’s third-fastest rate after China and the Asia-Pacific region.
