Italy abandons Boeing tanker deal in favour of European competitor

Italy’s Ministry of Defence is making a major strategic shift by selecting Airbus to supply six a330A330 multi-role tanker transport aircraft after 15 years of reliance on Boeing platforms.

The agreement was disclosed in documents published on May 19 by the European Union’s Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) procurement portal, Caliber.Az reports.

According to the notice, the €1.4 billion contract was signed on April 16 and is expected to run for approximately 10 years.

Rome had originally announced plans in 2022 to purchase Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers. However, the procurement process was unexpectedly suspended in the summer of 2024 due to what officials described as “changed and unforeseen needs,” leading the Italian Air Force to reconsider alternative options.

At the time, industry analysts speculated that concerns over costs and delivery timelines were among the key reasons behind the decision to halt the Boeing order.

The Airbus deal also comes amid growing efforts by European militaries to increase defence cooperation and standardisation, while becoming more cautious about purchasing US-made systems as President Trump continues to criticise the traditional transatlantic alliance between the United States and Europe.

Once the aircraft are delivered, Italy will become the 19th country to operate the A330 tanker, joining both NATO and non-NATO users, including Australia, Canada, France, South Korea, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the UAE.

By Nazrin Sadigova