Turkish Air Force A400s finally on their way home!

The two Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (TurAF, Turkish Air Force) Airbus A400M transport aircraft that were stuck at Kyiv-Boryspil since 24 February 2022 are on their way home. Until now, the threat-level around the airport was probably deemed too high to fly these critical assets back to Türkiye.

Flying as TUAF600 (18-0093, hex #4B8213) and TUAF601 (17-0080, hex #4B8212) they departed Kyiv-Boryspil in the afternoon of 20 December 2022 after spending more than ten months there.

The aircraft got stuck on the same day the Russian invasion of Ukraine started, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, that began in 2014.

Most probably, the A400Ms delivered Bayraktar TB2 Unmanned Combat Areal Systems (UCAS) or related equipment to Ukraine, an asset that was pivotal in the beginning of the war. Most probably the aircraft will first undergo maintenance at the Kayseri-based Hava İkmal ve Bakım Merkezi (2. HIBM.K – Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Centre).

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