New planes for Poland sooner than planned? Airbus reveals details

Faster A400M deliveries

Poland faces an urgent need to modernize its aviation fleet. The priorities include new transport planes, air tankers and training helicopters. As representatives of the Ministry of National Defense emphasize, these purchases are possible under the EU SAFE program, which assumes joint procurement by several EU member states.

Johan Pelissier, president of Airbus Europe, assured that the company is ready to deliver A400M aircraft to Poland even before the official SAFE deadline, i.e. before 2030. It all depends on the pace of decision-making by the Polish government. If the contract is concluded, we can deliver the planes to Poland very quickly, declares Pelissier.

According to unofficial information, Poland is considering purchasing from 8 to 15 A400M machines. The new transport aircraft are intended to increase the strategic and tactical capabilities of Polish aviation, as well as enable the rapid transfer of forces if necessary.

Joint purchases with Spain and a new NATO fleet

The purchase of new transport aircraft and tankers is carried out in close cooperation with other EU countries, primarily Spain. In June, Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, held talks in Madrid regarding joint procurement. In July, Poland also joined the allied initiative to build a multinational A400M fleet, modeled on the common MRTT tanker fleet. Participating countries are to share aircraft, training and maintenance, and smaller countries are to buy flight hours.

At the same time, the purchase of four A330 MRTT tankers is being finalized, which will enable Polish fighters, including the F-35, to operate longer and more effectively in the air. Airbus declares that the contract for these machines will be signed later this year.

Training helicopters - competition between Airbus and Leonardo

An important element of the modernization of Polish aviation is also the purchase of training and combat helicopters. Airbus offers the H145M model here, competing with the Italian Leonardo and its AW109M. The Ministry of National Defense emphasizes that it wants the greatest possible participation of the Polish industry in the production of new machines.

Airbus declares its readiness to transfer intellectual property rights and licenses to the helicopter's mission system to Polish partners. This gives independence and autonomy to the Polish ecosystem and the local partner, emphasizes Pelissier. The company is also considering gradually starting local production of helicopters in Poland.

Investments and jobs – Airbus focuses on Poland

Airbus already employs over 900 people in Poland, and by the end of the decade this number is expected to increase to 1.5 thousand. The company is developing engineering and production centers in Łódź, Warsaw, Gdańsk and Kraków. The value of Airbus' orders from Polish suppliers currently exceeds USD 700 million annually and is expected to increase to USD 1 billion in 2030.