§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is(a) the preferred and (b) the minimum length of runway for the A400M; and what discussions he has had with his (i) German and (ii) French counterparts about their preferred length of runway for the A400M. [17379]
§ Dr. MoonieWe are not planning on the basis of 'preferred' or 'minimum' runway lengths. The requirement is to support operations at the aircraft's Maximum All Up Weight. Our preliminary assessment is that this will mean a runway length of around 8,000 feet. However, runway length requirements for A400M operations will not be confirmed until the aircraft's Performance and Flying Qualities test programme is completed, on current plans, in 2008. The Secretary of State for Defence has not discussed the issue of A400M runway lengths with his French and German counterparts.