BERLIN — The German government on Wednesday urgently pressed European airplane manufacturer Airbus to come up with a precise plan for resolving the problems that have repeatedly set back delivery of its new military transport, the A400M.
"We urge the manufacturer to come up with a feasible and workable plan," a spokesman for the defense ministry, Jens Flosdorff, told a news briefing.
After new faults were discovered in the aircraft's engines and cracks in its fuselage, "what is important [for the German government] is that the manufacturer present a plan with which it will be able to resolve these issues in the coming months," Flosdorff said.
It was not yet fully clear how serious the problems were, he added.
The German army, the main customer for Airbus' military aircraft, has ordered around 50 A400M to replace its aging fleet of Transall planes.
It has taken delivery of three, which have revealed a number of faults.
"Naturally, we're examining all options" in case the A400M transports are not delivered in time, the ministry spokesman continued. These included the possibility of seeking compensation from Airbus.
The Airbus A400M military transport was briefly grounded last year after one of the airlifters crashed during a test flight near the Spanish city of Seville, killing four people.
