On 29 April 2026, the European Air Transport Command (EATC) at Eindhoven Air Base hosted an Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) Day in close cooperation with EUROCONTROL, bringing together representatives from the Maastricht Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) and the Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Unit (MMU). The event focused on the growing importance of conducting AAR operations within increasingly congested European airspace.
The programme aimed to foster mutual understanding between military air mobility experts and civilian air traffic controllers by addressing the operational constraints and challenges faced by both communities. By exchanging perspectives and expertise, participants worked towards enhancing safety, improving planning coordination, and supporting the efficient integration of AAR operations into busy air traffic environments.
The day began with a series of working sessions at EATC, opening with a presentation on the Command’s role in coordinating multinational air mobility and AAR missions. This was followed by an overview from MUAC, highlighting the complexities of managing high-density upper airspace and the challenges posed by accommodating military operations such as AAR. The MMU provided further insight into tanker operations, outlining operational requirements and constraints from a military aviation perspective.
A highlight of the event was a live AAR demonstration flight aboard an MMU A330 MRTT aircraft. During the sortie, German Tornado and Eurofighter fighter aircraft were successfully refuelled, allowing participants to observe first-hand the precision, coordination, and communication required between tanker crews and receiving aircraft, as well as the broader air traffic management environment supporting the operation.
Overall, the AAR Day provided a valuable platform for strengthening cooperation between EUROCONTROL MUAC, MMU, and EATC. It highlighted the critical role of coordination and shared understanding in enabling safe and effective air-to-air refuelling operations within Europe’s complex and busy airspace system.