{"id":41239,"date":"2026-05-21T11:25:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/?p=41239"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:25:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:25:32","slug":"italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy turns to Airbus A330 MRTT after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/tag\/italy\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3510\">Italy<\/a><\/span><\/strong> has confirmed plans to procure six <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/tag\/airbus-a330-mrtt\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2247\">Airbus A330 MRTT<\/a><\/span><\/strong> tankers in a deal worth \u20ac1.4 billion ($1.6 billion). The six aircraft will replace the Italian Air Force&#8217;s <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/tag\/boeing-767\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"3276\">Boeing KC-767<\/a><\/span><\/strong> fleet, deepening European alignment around the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/tag\/airbus\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"77\">Airbus<\/a><\/span><\/strong> refuelling platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The acquisition plans were published via the EU&#8217;s TED public procurement portal and include 10 years of integrated logistic support. It also marks the end of an often uncertain tanker modernisation programme that had previously centred on the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/tag\/boeing-kc-46-pegasus\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"7622\">Boeing KC-46 Pegasus<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-6-xl-font-size\">Italy picks Airbus over Boeing for future aerial refuelling needs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The refresh of Italy&#8217;s KC-767 tankers has been a story of twists and turns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Italian Air Force has four Boeing 767-based tankers that joined the fleet in 2011 and have an average age of 21 years. In 2021, Italy announced plans to add another two KC-767s to its fleet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a year later, Rome shifted direction and laid out plans to procure six Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers to replace the ageing jets. Had it proceeded, the deal was expected to be worth around \u20ac1.1\u00a0billion ($1.3 billion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That programme was suspended in 2024, with the Italian Air Force citing &#8220;changed and unforeseen needs,&#8221; reopening the competition for Italy&#8217;s tanker supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USAFS1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"USAF's 100th KC-46A takes off from Boeing Field on delivery to Travis AFB on December 2, 2025\" class=\"wp-image-32926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USAFS1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USAFS1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/USAFS1-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Boeing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rome never officially detailed the reasons behind the reversal of course, although industry reporting at the time suggests there were concerns around acquisition costs, delivery schedules and technical issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The revised competition ultimately resulted in Airbus emerging as the sole bidder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italy\u2019s decision also avoids what would have been an increasingly unusual position within Europe. Had the KC-46 acquisition proceeded, Italy would have become the only European operator of Boeing\u2019s Pegasus tanker, while many NATO allies continue to consolidate around the Airbus A330 MRTT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-5-xl-font-size\">The problem with Boeing&#8217;s KC-46<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The KC-46 has had issues with its refuelling system, particularly relating to its stiff refuelling boom. An Accident Investigation Board report released in August 2025 noted <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/boeing-kc-46-pegasus-problems\/\">$23 million of damage caused by the nozzle binding to the receiving aircraft in three separate incidents.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-Kc-46-pegasus-boom-seen-after-breaking-off-and-falling-to-the-ground-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"A Kc-46 pegasus boom seen after breaking off and falling to the ground\" class=\"wp-image-27540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-Kc-46-pegasus-boom-seen-after-breaking-off-and-falling-to-the-ground-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-Kc-46-pegasus-boom-seen-after-breaking-off-and-falling-to-the-ground-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-Kc-46-pegasus-boom-seen-after-breaking-off-and-falling-to-the-ground-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-Kc-46-pegasus-boom-seen-after-breaking-off-and-falling-to-the-ground-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-Kc-46-pegasus-boom-seen-after-breaking-off-and-falling-to-the-ground.jpeg 1250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: USAF AIB<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, the aircraft&#8217;s Remote Vision System (RVS)  suffered from image distortion, poor depth perception and sensitivity to dynamic lighting. The risks were such that the US Air Force restricted certain refuelling profiles at night or in challenging light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In November 2025, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/boeing-tests-kc-46-vision-system-tests\/\">Boeing flew the overhauled RVS 2.0 for the first time<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, kicking off a testing phase designed to resolve the tanker&#8217;s long-standing flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n        <div class=\"flex flex-wrap items-center justify-start -mx-2 mt-6\">\n                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/us-air-force-cannibalise-kc-46-pegasus-tankers-spare-parts\/\"  class=\"btn-ocean  mx-2 my-2  flex items-center flex-row \">\n                                        <span class=\"sr-only\">Read more: US Air Force to cannibalise early KC-46 Pegasus tankers to improve fleet readiness<\/span>\n                    <span>Read more: US Air Force to cannibalise early KC-46 Pegasus tankers to improve fleet readiness<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n        \n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-6-xl-font-size\">Europe&#8217;s tanker fleet consolidates around Airbus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Airbus A330 MRTT has steadily become the dominant aerial refuelling platform across Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The UK, France and <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/first-spanish-a330mrtt-enters-service\/\">Spain<\/a><\/span><\/strong> all operate the aircraft, while <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/nato-orders-a330-mrtt-sweden-denmark-mmf\/\">several other EU nations participate in NATO&#8217;s Multinational MRTT fleet <\/a><\/span><\/strong>based in Eindhoven. These include the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NATO-allied-air-command-Airbus-A330MRTT-aerial-refuelling-aircraft-1024x624.jpg\" alt=\"NATO allied air command Airbus A330MRTT aerial refuelling aircraft\" class=\"wp-image-39151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NATO-allied-air-command-Airbus-A330MRTT-aerial-refuelling-aircraft-1024x624.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NATO-allied-air-command-Airbus-A330MRTT-aerial-refuelling-aircraft-300x183.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NATO-allied-air-command-Airbus-A330MRTT-aerial-refuelling-aircraft-768x468.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NATO-allied-air-command-Airbus-A330MRTT-aerial-refuelling-aircraft.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: NATO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The aircraft\u2019s ability to support both boom and hose-and-drogue refuelling operations has proven particularly attractive to European air forces operating mixed fleets of US and European combat aircraft, including the F-35 and Eurofighter Typhoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Derived from the Airbus A330-200 airliner, the MRTT can carry up to 111 tonnes of fuel while also transporting troops, cargo or medical evacuation patients. Airbus says the type has accumulated more than 340,000 flight hours since entering service in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company now claims around 90% of the tanker market outside the United States, with 91 aircraft ordered by 19 countries worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-6-xl-font-size\">Airbus expands A330 MRTT production capacity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italy\u2019s order comes as Airbus moves to increase A330 MRTT production capacity amid growing global demand for tanker aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, Airbus confirmed it will open a second MRTT conversion centre at its San Pablo facility in Seville, Spain, complementing the existing conversion line at Getafe near Madrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"767\" src=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-new-production-line-in-spain-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"Airbus A330 MRTT new production line in spain\" class=\"wp-image-41244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-new-production-line-in-spain-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-new-production-line-in-spain-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-new-production-line-in-spain-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-new-production-line-in-spain.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Airbus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The expansion is expected to increase annual MRTT conversion capacity from five aircraft to seven while also adding maintenance, repair and overhaul capability for in-service fleets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional demand for tanker aircraft is expected in both Europe and the Middle East over the coming years. Poland is evaluating a potential MRTT acquisition through the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/safe-defence-loans-18-eu-states-apply\/\">European Union\u2019s SAFE defence funding mechanism<\/a><\/span><\/strong>, while Spain has signalled interest in expanding its own fleet beyond three aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside Europe, <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/saudi-arabia-orders-four-a330-mrtts\/?modal=yes\">Saudi Arabia recently ordered additional MRTTs,<\/a><\/span><\/strong> while Canada is progressing with its CC-330 Husky programme based on the Airbus platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It remains unclear whether Italy\u2019s aircraft will be delivered in the current A330 MRTT configuration or the <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/airbus-announces-newest-evolution-of-the-a330-mrtt\/\">newer A330 MRTT+ standard.<\/a><\/span><\/strong> The plus standard was launched at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow and introduces Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engines and aerodynamic improvements based on the A330neo platform.<\/p>\n\n\n        <div class=\"flex flex-wrap items-center justify-start -mx-2 mt-6\">\n                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/defence-aviation-news\/\"  class=\"btn-stealth  mx-2 my-2  flex items-center flex-row \">\n                                        <span class=\"sr-only\">Get the latest defence aviation news here on AGN.<\/span>\n                    <span>Get the latest defence aviation news here on AGN.<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n                        <\/div>\n        \n\n\n<p><em>Featured image: Airbus<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rome\u2019s decision to acquire six Airbus A330 MRTTs follows the collapse of earlier plans to buy Boeing KC-46 Pegasus tankers, with cost concerns, delivery uncertainty and wider NATO interoperability all shaping Italy\u2019s eventual return to a European solution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":36219,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,29],"tags":[77,2247,7622,1020,3510,940],"class_list":["post-41239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-defence","category-defence-security","tag-airbus","tag-airbus-a330-mrtt","tag-boeing-kc-46-pegasus","tag-europe","tag-italy","tag-nato"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Italy picks Airbus over Boeing to join Europe&#039;s growing A330 MRTT family<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Italy has selected the Airbus A330 MRTT to replace its ageing KC-767 tankers after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Italy picks Airbus over Boeing to join Europe&#039;s growing A330 MRTT family\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Italy has selected the Airbus A330 MRTT to replace its ageing KC-767 tankers after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"AGN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-21T10:25:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-21T10:25:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"904\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Joanna Bailey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Joanna Bailey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Joanna Bailey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4\"},\"headline\":\"Italy turns to Airbus A330 MRTT after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-21T10:25:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-21T10:25:32+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":765,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"Airbus\",\"Airbus A330 MRTT\",\"Boeing KC-46 Pegasus\",\"Europe\",\"Italy\",\"NATO\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Defence\",\"Defence &amp; Security\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/\",\"name\":\"Italy picks Airbus over Boeing to join Europe's growing A330 MRTT family\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-21T10:25:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-21T10:25:32+00:00\",\"description\":\"Italy has selected the Airbus A330 MRTT to replace its ageing KC-767 tankers after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/02\\\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg\",\"width\":1560,\"height\":904,\"caption\":\"Photo: Airbus\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/news\\\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Italy turns to Airbus A330 MRTT after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"AGN\",\"description\":\"Aerospace Global News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Aerospace Global News\",\"alternateName\":\"AGN\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png\",\"width\":150,\"height\":35,\"caption\":\"Aerospace Global News\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/aerospace-global-news\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4\",\"name\":\"Joanna Bailey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Joanna Bailey\"},\"description\":\"Joanna has worked in online publishing for decades, and has been part of the aviation media community for several years. She is the editor of Aerospace Global News, overseeing the strategic direction and ongoing quality of the site.\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Italy picks Airbus over Boeing to join Europe's growing A330 MRTT family","description":"Italy has selected the Airbus A330 MRTT to replace its ageing KC-767 tankers after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Italy picks Airbus over Boeing to join Europe's growing A330 MRTT family","og_description":"Italy has selected the Airbus A330 MRTT to replace its ageing KC-767 tankers after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans.","og_url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/","og_site_name":"AGN","article_published_time":"2026-05-21T10:25:31+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-21T10:25:32+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1560,"height":904,"url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Joanna Bailey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Joanna Bailey","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/"},"author":{"name":"Joanna Bailey","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4"},"headline":"Italy turns to Airbus A330 MRTT after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans","datePublished":"2026-05-21T10:25:31+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-21T10:25:32+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/"},"wordCount":765,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg","keywords":["Airbus","Airbus A330 MRTT","Boeing KC-46 Pegasus","Europe","Italy","NATO"],"articleSection":["Defence","Defence &amp; Security"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/","name":"Italy picks Airbus over Boeing to join Europe's growing A330 MRTT family","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-05-21T10:25:31+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-21T10:25:32+00:00","description":"Italy has selected the Airbus A330 MRTT to replace its ageing KC-767 tankers after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Airbus-A330-MRTT-automatic-refuelling-1.jpeg","width":1560,"height":904,"caption":"Photo: Airbus"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/news\/italy-airbus-a330-mrtt-order\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Italy turns to Airbus A330 MRTT after shelving Boeing KC-46 plans"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/","name":"AGN","description":"Aerospace Global News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#organization","name":"Aerospace Global News","alternateName":"AGN","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/logo-dark-finn-thumbnail-1.png","width":150,"height":35,"caption":"Aerospace Global News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/aerospace-global-news\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d520abeb2e9eafc75ecb7aa1abe032b4","name":"Joanna Bailey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/06334fa4c6f64299a4fa3b2a6cbb0fd240f5426fceaf7407b9b863806dab7bb4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Joanna Bailey"},"description":"Joanna has worked in online publishing for decades, and has been part of the aviation media community for several years. She is the editor of Aerospace Global News, overseeing the strategic direction and ongoing quality of the site."}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41239"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41239\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36219"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aerospaceglobalnews.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}