At the end of May, the European Air Transport Command (EATC) had the honour of hosting a high-level delegation from Airbus, led by Ms Géraldine Thiercelin, Head of Air Power Services. This engagement reflects the enduring relationship between EATC and Airbus, a key industrial actor supporting a majority of the air transport assets operated under EATC command, notably A400M and A330 MRTT.
The visit commenced with a strategic briefing delivered by Major General Franck Mollard, Commander of EATC. General Mollard outlined the command’s unique business model and multinational governance structure. Emphasising the operational relevance of the Airbus-provided fleets, he highlighted that robust and forward-looking cooperation with industry partners such as Airbus remains essential to meet the evolving demands of multinational air mobility.
The Commander further presented EATC’s mission spectrum of 2024, underscoring operations such as the humanitarian relief flights into Gaza, the air bridge to New Caledonia, and the Pacific Skies initiative. Additionally, he provided insights into the command’s regular multinational training and exercise programme, which ensure readiness and interoperability across member nations.
A focal point of the presentation was the Lighthouse Project — EATC’s strategic vision to enhance interoperability through five key pillars: cross-maintenance, multinational ground handling, cross-parachuting, cross-mission preparation, and the use of unpaved runways.
Following a common lunch that fostered informal exchanges and reinforced mutual understanding, Ms Géraldine Thiercelin addressed the audience with a detailed presentation on Airbus’ organisational structure and its Air Power Services division. She elaborated on Airbus’ comprehensive support portfolio — encompassing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), material supply, technical support, and training — dedicated to the fleets of A400M, A330 MRTT, and Eurofighter Typhoon.
Ms Thiercelin also shared Airbus' forward-looking vision in preparing for high-intensity operational scenarios. She highlighted the necessity of a robust framework encompassing regulatory environments, material readiness, engineering resilience, business continuity, and advanced MRO capabilities. In addition, she addressed the importance of training, human resources development, and digitalisation, all in support of agile combat employment strategies.
The visit concluded with a symbolic gesture: Ms Thiercelin signed the EATC Golden Book, marking the occasion as a milestone in the long-standing and future-oriented cooperation between EATC and Airbus.
EATC looks forward to further strengthening its dialogue with Airbus to support the operational excellence and multinational coherence that define European air mobility.