The Spanish Air Force received its first Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) on April 11, 2025, at a ceremony that took place at Airbus’ facilities in Getafe, near Madrid.
This is the first of three aircraft of the type that Spain ordered in order to boost its long-range operational capabilities.
Although some of Spain’s A400M are equipped with a Hose and Drum Unit (HDU) pod which enables them to refuel other aircraft inflight, the Spanish Air Force has mostly been relying on its European allies to conduct some of its longer-range missions.
For example, Spanish combat aircraft which participated in “Pacific Skies 2024”, a series of exercises that took place in several locations across the Indo-Pacific region, were refueled by French and German A330 MRTTs.
For several decades Spain relied on its Boeing 707 fleet to fulfill the long-range refueling role, but those aircraft were withdrawn from service in 2016, creating a capability gap.
None of Spain’s three A330 MRTTs is a new airframe. All three aircraft had previously been operated as airliners by Spanish flag carrier Iberia and, since their transfer to military use in 2021, had also been performing missions transporting passengers and cargo.
The conversion process to add refueling capabilities to the aircraft is being performed by Airbus in Getafe. The second A330 MRTT is expected to join the Spanish Air Force fleet later in 2025 and the third unit, in 2026.
All three aircraft will be based at Torrejón de Ardoz airbase, outside Madrid, where they will serve in “Ala 45” of the “Ejército del Aire”.
In addition to their refueling function, these three aircraft have also preserved their passenger and cargo transport capabilities. The A330 MRTT, which has a range of up to 16.000 km (9,940 miles), is able to carry up to 300 passengers, 45 tons of cargo or a medevac kit which turns it into a flying hospital.
This is not the only development concerning the MRTT program in the last few weeks. In late March 2025, Denmark announced its plans to acquire two A330 MRTT aircraft to contribute to the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet, a pan-European initiative through which six European nations (Germany, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic) are pooling their transport and inflight refueling assets.
