A400

Türkiye and Spain are in advanced negotiations over a potential military aircraft swap, daily Hürriyet has reported.

The deal, which could see Türkiye acquiring Airbus A400M military jets in exchange for its domestically produced Hürjet training aircraft, is valued at around 720 million euros ($793 million).

A Turkish military airbase in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri has launched the second maintenance center for Airbus A400M tactical transport planes, according to an official.

European NATO buyers of the Airbus A400M military transporter are finalizing an agreement to negotiate a new delivery schedule and contract terms for the troubled aircraft program, sources familiar with the discussions said, Reuters reported.

Airbus Group has told buyer nations of the A400M transporter  aircraft that it cannot deliver all of its high-tech defences according to plan, casting a shadow over some of its military uses as Europe battles growing instability on its borders. 

Shares in European aerospace giant Airbus fell more than three percent in opening trade May 11 after one of its A400M military planes crashed in Spain over the weekend, killing four.

At least four people were killed when an Airbus A400M military plane crashed near Seville airport in southern Spain during a test flight, the first fatal incident involving the new transport craft.

An Airbus A400M military plane crashed into a field 1.6 kilometers north of San Pablo airport in Seville in southern Spain on May 9 while apparently on a test flight, officials said.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said between eight and 10 people were on board, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported. The prime minister's office could not confirm the comments.

Turkey is preparing for further delays in the delivery of two A400M military transport aircraft it ordered from Airbus Group, according to defense officials in Ankara.

It signed a deal for 10 of the heavy cargo and troop carriers in 2003 as part of a group of seven European NATO nations, expecting its part of the order to be fulfilled by 2018.