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Spain withdraws flying permit for Airbus in production phase

FILE - In this June 26, 2008 file photo, Spanish King Juan Carlos, fourth from right, poses with other officials in front of the new military Airbus A400M in Seville, Spain. Investors pushed Airbus shares down Monday May 11, 2015 on Paris' stock exchange after an Airbus military transport plane undergoing final flight testing in Spain crashed, killing four aboard and injuring two. Airbus shares were down 4.3 percent to 60.67 euros ($67.88) as authorities investigated what caused the A400M to crash into a farm field Saturday after taking off from Seville, where the planes are assembled.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File) FILE - In this June 26, 2008 file photo, Spanish King Juan Carlos, fourth from right, poses with other officials in front of the new military Airbus A400M in Seville, Spain. Investors pushed Airbus shares down Monday May 11, 2015 on Paris' stock exchange after an Airbus military transport plane undergoing final flight testing in Spain crashed, killing four aboard and injuring two. Airbus shares were down 4.3 percent to 60.67 euros ($67.88) as authorities investigated what caused the A400M to crash into a farm field Saturday after taking off from Seville, where the planes are assembled.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano, File)

By Associated Press May 12, 2015 1 min read

MADRID (AP) – Spain’s Defense Ministry says it has withdrawn flying permission for Airbus A400M planes in production phase until an investigation determines the cause of a crash last weekend near the southern city of Seville that killed two pilots and two flight test engineers.

Minister Pedro Morenes told Spain’s Onda Cero radio Tuesday that “it’s not a good idea for those planes in production phase, and about to do tests, to fly without knowing what really happened with the (crashed) plane.”

He said all precautions must be taken.

Morenes said he had no details on the investigation’s progress.

Four of the five countries that already have A400Ms – Britain, Germany, Malaysia and Turkey – have grounded the plane. France, which has six, says it will only use the aircraft in urgent operations.