Airbus Defence and Space will open an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) conversion facility at its San Pablo plant in Seville in late 2027. The process involves converting the commercial A330 model into a military tanker aircraft for in-flight refuelling missions, as well as troop transport, cargo transport and medical evacuations. At present, the company has an order book of 91 orders from 19 countries.

This move is driven by the surge in global demand for tanker aircraft, amid a climate of rising defence investment. The new facility, which will complement the one in Getafe (Madrid), will increase the conversion of civilian aircraft into military versions by up to seven a year. The Madrid plant, which has so far converted four units per year, will act as the coordinating centre.

Job creation
The San Pablo plant will also undertake maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work, as well as modernising the A330 MRTTs already in service. These new activities will create around 200 new direct jobs in Seville and around 600 in the supply chain. The facilities will be upgraded to maximise their operational capacity and equip them with the technology required for their new role.

Airbus’s president in Spain, Francisco Javier Sánchez Segura, says that the choice of Seville “is no coincidence, but a strategic decision”, since it “meets all the critical requirements for the military conversion of an aircraft as complex as the A330”. He also highlights its advanced technical expertise, “with first-rate infrastructure”, its years of experience in the final assembly of the A400M and the C295, and its logistical and operational proximity to Getafe.

Two new C295s for Thailand
Airbus’s Seville plant will also be responsible for assembling the two C295 aircraft ordered by the Royal Thai Air Force to strengthen its defence capabilities. The first delivery is expected in the first half of 2029. Thailand already has three C295 aircraft, operated by the Royal Thai Army since 2016 for cargo and troop transport missions.

The two new units will be assembled in a tactical transport configuration and will have the capacity to carry 70 soldiers or 49 paratroopers. They will be equipped to take off and land on unprepared runways, carry out cargo and parachute drops, and conduct medical evacuations.

Photo: Airbus Defence and Space