Europe Weighs Civilian Airlift Reserve To Speed Military Deployments

Tony Osborne January 28, 2026

Delta aircraft loading evacuees — Europe seeks its own version of the U.S. Civil Reserve Air Fleet so that it can respond more quickly to regional and international crises.

Credit: Tech. Sgt. Donald Barnec/U.S. Air Force

Russian aggression and escalating global crises are prompting Europe to assess how it can react and deploy its military forces more rapidly. Organic military transport fleets alone are no longer sufficient. The number of transport aircraft available to European air forces has declined since the end...

Tony Osborne

Based in London, Tony covers European defense programs. Prior to joining Aviation Week in November 2012, Tony was at Shephard Media Group where he was deputy editor for Rotorhub and Defence Helicopter magazines.

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