Belgium is leasing an Airbus 330-300 for its strategic personnel and materiel air transport requirements. Defense Minister Pieter De Crem presented the aircraft yesterday at Melsbroek, Brussels' military airport where the Belgian air force's 15 Wing is based.
Courtesy of Belgian air force
The A330-300 is being leased from the French company Avico for 2,000 hours a year. It will replace two A310-200s, which have been in service since 1997. One of these A310s will still fly until the end of next year, but the other has not been used since August.
In addition to the Airbuses, 15 Wing also operates the Belgian air force's 11 C-130Hs, two Dassault Falcon 20s, one Falcon 900, and two Embraer ERJ 135s and 145s each. Belgium will have to wait at least a decade for its eight A400M strategic transport aircraft (including one for Luxembourg).
Belgian military TV has produced a video of the A330-300.
