The first flight took place from Seville in Spain in mid-December and lasted three and a half hours. Further flights took place on 23 December and 7 January.
Tim Rowntree, Director Air Support at DE&S, said:
"This is a great achievement for the European aerospace industry and one that will bring the capabilities that our armed forces need and deserve in the 21st century. But we are not out of the woods yet; the aircraft now needs to prove itself through a demanding flight trials programme, and we know from experience that this will be a tough challenge.
"Also, along with the other partner nations, we are still in discussion with the company to re-baseline the programme following last year’s reported programme slippage and associated cost challenges. A400M will bring a great new capability, but not at any price. It is fair to say, though, that most major programmes have their challenges and these should not detract from what is a fantastic achievement for this flagship programme."
Huw Cable, leader of DE&S’ A400M team, added:
"This event provides a great boost for my team and is a very significant event in the development of the aircraft. This first step in a challenging flight test programme is a testament to the efforts and expertise of the engineers and specialists in Airbus Military, OCCAR and the customer nations."
In capacity terms, A400M will carry roughly twice the load of a C-130 Hercules, and will be able to lift new armoured vehicles in the 30 tonne class.
A400M is being procured on behalf of seven European nations, including the UK, by the OCCAR management agency, working in partnership with the national project teams. The other nations are Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Spain, France and Luxembourg.