Massive British military plane returns to SLO County. Here’s why
The Paso Robles Municipal Airport welcomed a massive British Royal Air Force plane back to San Luis Obispo County, according to a city Facebook post.
The Airbus A-400M touched down at the Paso Robles airport, delivering freight for an upcoming mission. It required a refill of 9,000 gallons of Jet-A fuel, according to the city.
The massive plane can carry up to 116 fully equipped troops, plus vehicles, helicopters and more, according to the British Royal Air Force website.
The plane has visited SLO County before. It last visited in January 2024 and before that in October 2022 for training exercises.
This time, the Royal Air Force will be operating out of Camp Roberts and Perris Valley from Jan. 27 through mid-February, the city said.
Paso Robles assistant city manager Chris Huot said during Wednesday’s City Council meeting that the Royal Air Force is using the airport for supply drop-off and will be using it as part of an upcoming exercise in January.
“We’re looking forward to continuing conversations with them for future years,” Huot said.
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