The flight at the Santa Lucía Military Air Base, adjacent to Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), was scheduled as an opportunity to assess the performance of the Airbus A400M aircraft. However, despite the efforts of the Spanish military to rehabilitate the systems after a wait of more than an hour, it was not possible to correct the failure in the control systems and it was determined that the aircraft would not take off.
The Airbus A400M aircraft has an average price of 200 million euros, equivalent to about 4 billion pesos. Airbus aims to sell at least two units to the National Defense Secretary (Sedena) for operations such as security flights and the DN-III plan, among other activities. The price of the aircraft will depend on the quantity of the order placed by the Army.
The A400M features four counter-rotating turboprop engines that allow for wide speeds and flight capabilities at various altitudes. The aircraft that experienced the failure was brought from Spain by the Spanish Air Force to be showcased in Mexico.
Specific characteristics of the aircraft include a length of nearly 18 meters that facilitates the transport of various loads, a crane capable of lifting up to 5 tons, and the ability to take off and land on short or soft dirt runways with ease. Additionally, the A400M includes up to 116 parachutes, unique landing features for accessing hard-to-reach areas, and low detectability due to its clean engines and reduced infrared signature.
