ILA 2024: Airbus welcomes German announcement on additional Eurofighters, says more to come

Airbus is showcasing the latest Tranche 5 variant of the Eurofighter at ILA 2024. The German chancellor announced that the Luftwaffe will receive 20 additional aircraft on the opening day of the event in Berlin. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

Airbus has welcomed the announcement by the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, that the Luftwaffe is to receive 20 additional Eurofighter combat aircraft, saying it expects further orders to follow.

Speaking on the opening day of the ILA Berlin Air Show 2024, the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, Michael Schoellhorn, said that the chancellor's decision to sign off on 20 more Eurofighters as part of the Luftwaffe's Tornado replacement programme was good news for the multinational programme, and that he expects outstanding aircraft to be included in later budget cycles.

“I think the chancellor gave a positive speech at the opening of the airshow,” Schoellhorn said on 5 June. “Twenty is the number that fits in the current [government] budget cycle, so I don't think it is the last word.”

In his announcement on the same day, Scholz said, “We will order 20 more Eurofighters before the end of this legislative session, in addition to the 38 aircraft currently on order.” As Schoellhorn noted, this German legislative session runs through to September 2025, meaning that realistically a contract could be expected in early 2025.