Modern airpower has a secret ingredient. Not a missile, not a radar… but a flying fuel station that keeps aircraft in the sky far longer than their tanks would normally allow. At the International Sanicole Airshow 2026, you’ll see this airborne lifeline in action when the mighty Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport performs several impressive flypasts over the airfield, presented by the Royal Netherlands Air Force.
For decades, aerial refuelling was a capability reserved for the world’s largest air forces. Today, cooperation has changed the game. Six European nations, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Czechia, Norway and Germany, joined forces to create a shared fleet of these powerful tanker aircraft under the Multinational MRTT Fleet. Together they operate nine A330 MRTTs that keep allied aircraft flying longer, farther, and stronger during missions. Recently, other nations joined the program, bringing the total to 9 participating air forces. The total number of aircraft will be expanded to twelve.
This flying giant is far more than a tanker. Equipped with both a rigid boom system and a hose-and-drogue system, it can refuel a wide range of aircraft in mid-air, from fighters like the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to large transports such as the Airbus A400M Atlas. With an enormous internal fuel capacity of 111,000 kg, the aircraft acts as a force multiplier, extending missions across continents.
And its talents do not stop there. The spacious cabin can carry up to 300 troops, or be filled with cargo pallets weighing up to 45 tonnes. Within hours, the aircraft can also transform into a flying hospital for aeromedical evacuation missions, transporting patients and medical teams safely across the globe.
These impressive aircraft are based at Eindhoven and Bonn/Cologne, ready to support allied operations whenever they are needed.
During the weekend of 12 & 13 September 2026, visitors to the International Sanicole Airshow 2026 at Hechtel-Eksel in Belgium will have the rare chance to witness this aerial powerhouse up close as it thunders across the sky. Look up when it passes. You are not just seeing a large aircraft… you are watching the machine that keeps entire air forces flying.
