Second A330 MRTT Enters Service with Spanish Air and Space Force
The second Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Purpose Tanker Transport) for the Spanish Air and Space Force has entered into service with the 45th Wing. The aircraft, which will operate from Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base, Madrid (Spain), has been delivered from the Airbus facilities in Getafe (Madrid), where the A330 MRTT aircraft conversion center is based.
The delivery marks another step forward in the Ministry of Defence and the Air and Space Force’s acquisition of three Airbus A330 aircraft, previously operated as passenger planes by Spain’s flag carrier Iberia, and their conversion by Airbus into Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. The first A330 MRTT was delivered last April, and the third is expected to join the Spanish Air Force fleet in 2026. All three aircraft will be based at Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base, near Madrid, filling the gap left by the Boeing 707 tankers retired in 2016.
Based on the A330-200 airliner, the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is an aerial refueller and transport aircraft. Equipped with a state-of-the-art hose and basket refuelling system, the A300 MRTT supports NATO operations in Europe and beyond with a fuel capacity of up to 111 tonnes, a flight endurance of over 18 hours and a range of 16,000 kilometres. Its wide-body fuselage enables it to transport up to 300 troops or a payload of up to 45 tonnes. Additionally, the aircraft can be configured with a dedicated Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) kit that can accommodate stretchers and intensive-care stations.
Excluding Spain, the aircraft is operated by 9 operators across 15 nations: Australia, France, NATO’s 6-nation Multinational MRTT Fleet (Germany, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Belgium, Czech Republic), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Canada, which already operates an A330-200 that will be converted into a tanker.