Germany has received into service its second Airbus Defence and Space A400M Atlas transport aircraft, the company announced on 2 December.

The aircraft was handed over to the German Air Force during a ceremony at the final assembly line in Seville, Spain, just less than a year after the first aircraft was delivered on 18 December 2014.

Germany is set to receive 53 A400M aircraft to replace the ageing Transall C-160.

The original requirement for 73 aircraft was reduced in 2011 to 53, and may yet be reduced further to 40.