Airbus has rolled out the first A330 MRTT+ prototype at its Toulouse final assembly line, giving the first visual confirmation that the next-generation tanker-transport programme is moving into production. The incomplete aircraft, seen in primer with MRTT+ markings and no engines installed, is the launch example for the Royal Thai Air Force, which ordered one aircraft in September 2025 for delivery in 2029.
The MRTT+ is the successor to the current A330 MRTT and is based on the A330-800neo platform. It retains the tanker’s multi-role mission set, combining aerial refuelling with troop, cargo and medical transport duties. Airbus unveiled the programme at Farnborough in 2024 as the replacement path for the earlier A330-200-based MRTT family.
The first sighting matters because it shifts the aircraft from concept and contract stage into physical build. The Thai order remains the programme’s commercial anchor, while the Toulouse rollout indicates that Airbus is now advancing beyond announcement and into the manufacturing and test phase ahead of conversion work in Spain.