Between 2009 and 2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development programme delays and cost overruns; however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support for the project.

In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification and the first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013.

The project has its origins in the Future International Military Airlifter (FIMA) group, established in 1982 as a joint venture between Aérospatiale, British Aerospace (BAe), Lockheed, and Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) with the goal of developing a replacement for both the C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160.

[6][7] In April 2002, Airbus Military issued a new request for proposal (RFP), which Pratt & Whitney Canada with the PW180 and Europrop International answered.

[10] As the original deadline for the engine decision passed, Airbus CEO Noel Forgeard said P&WC's bid was nearly 20 percent less expensive and declared that "As of today Pratt and Whitney is the winner without doubt; a much lower offer could make us change our minds.

[14] The A400M is positioned as an intermediate size and range between the Lockheed C-130 and the Boeing C-17, carrying cargo too large or too heavy for the C-130, while able to use rough landing strips.

[25] On 24 July 2009, the seven European nations announced that the programme would proceed and formed a joint procurement agency to renegotiate the contract.

[31] In November 2010, Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Spain and Turkey finalised the contract and agreed to lend Airbus Military €1.5 billion.

[35] In July 2016, French aerospace laboratory ONERA confirmed successful wind tunnel trials of a 36.5 m (120 ft) hose and drogue configuration to permit helicopter refuelling by the A400M.

Prior tests found instability in the intended 24 m (79 ft) hose due to vortices generated by the spoilers, deployed to achieve 108-130 kt air speed.

[36] In April 2016, production faults affecting 14 propeller gearboxes (PGBs) produced by Italian supplier Avio Aero were discovered.

Another PGB issue involved input pinion plug cracking, which could release small metallic particles into the oil system, which is safeguarded by a magnetic sensor.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Airworthiness Directive mandating immediate on-wing inspection, followed by replacement if evidence of damage was found.

"[47] Before the first flight, required airborne test time on the Europrop TP400 engine was achieved using a C-130 testbed aircraft, which first flew on 17 December 2008.

These revealed an aerodynamic issue causing horizontal tail buffeting, resolved via a six-week retrofit to install anti-icing equipment fed with bleed air.

[55] In May 2012, the MSN2 flight test aircraft was due to spend a week conducting unpaved runway trials on a grass strip at Cottbus-Drewitz Airport in Germany.

[63] At the 2012 Royal International Air Tattoo, the aircraft was officially named "Atlas"[64][65] In March 2013, the A400M was granted type certification by the EASA, clearing its entry to service.

Early conclusions observed that Airbus lacked an integrated approach to production, development and retrofits, treating these as separate programmes.

[80] A key scenario examined by investigators was that the torque calibration parameter data had accidentally been wiped on three engines during software installation, preventing FADEC operations.

[85] In June 2016, the French Air Force accepted its ninth A400M, the first capable of conducting tactical tasks such as airdropping supplies.

The revised standard includes the addition of cockpit armour and defensive aids system equipment, plus clearance to transfer and receive fuel in-flight.

[86] The Airbus A400M provides substantial improvements to payload, range, internal volume and operational capacity over the Transall C-160 and Lockheed C-130 that it replaces or augments.

[88] and can be configured to transport cargo or military personnel, drop paratroops, conduct medical evacuations or carry out aerial refuelling.

[89] The A400M features deployable baffles in front of the rear side doors, intended to give paratroops time to get clear of the aircraft before they are hit by the slipstream.

[100] In September and October 2017, A400Ms from France, Germany and the UK participated in disaster relief operations following Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean, delivering a Puma helicopter, food, water and other aid supply, and evacuating stranded people.

[101][102] In July 2018, the German Luftwaffe used an A400M in combat conditions for the first time, transporting 75 soldiers from Wunstorf Air Base to Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.

[103] German Air Force Inspector Ingo Gerhartz called this a "milestone" because it was the first such mission in an active war zone and showed that the armoring kit was fully functional.

[108] In August 2021, a total of 25 A400Ms were deployed by Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the UK to assist in the Kabul Airport evacuations.

[113] In September 2023, Royal Air Force A400M transported British search and rescue teams to Morocco after a Mw 6.9 earthquake had ravaged the country.

Once airborne, the crew contacted air traffic controllers just before the crash about a technical failure,[150] before colliding with an electricity pylon while attempting an emergency landing.