THE first Airbus A400M Atlas transport plane for RAF Brize Norton has made its maiden flight.

The turboprop aircraft took off from the airfield at manufacturer Airbus Defence & Space’s factory at Seville, in Spain, at 2.25pm local time on Saturday, August 30, right, and landed five hours and five minutes later after being put though its paces over southern Spain and the Mediterranean.

Airbus’s chief military test pilot, Edward Strongman, said after landing: “It was very satisfying to conduct this first flight of the first A400M for the Royal Air Force.

“I have no doubt that its combination of true tactical capability with strategic range will be an enormous contributor to future air mobility in the RAF.”

The aircraft, which was back in the air again on Thursday, is the one of 22 ordered by the RAF at a cost of more than £3.2bn and is set to be delivered to Brize Norton by the end of this month.

After training of flight and ground crews, it is expected to enter service in March next year.