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The European aerospace firm, EADS, is facing new problems with its A400M military transport plane that could delay its maiden flight expected in July.

"There are still loads of unanswered questions," a senior EADS executive told the Wirtschaftswoche weekly in its edition published Monday.

The problems do not only concern the plane's engines but also the fuselage and the wings, the executive said.

The A400M is the most important military industrial program ever carried out between European partners. It was launched by seven countries in May 2003, but it is already six months to a year behind schedule due to technical problems.

The Airbus A400M will increase the airlift capacity and range compared to the aircraft it was originally set to replace, which are the older versions of the Hercules and Transall. Cargo capacity is expected to double over existing aircraft, both in payload and volume, and range is increased substantially as well. Like Airbus' other aircraft, the A400M will have a full "glass cockpit" (all information accessed through large color screens) and fly-by-wire, and as such will represent a technological leap compared to the older C-130s and C-160s that many countries now operate.

The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company said in November that it was going to have spend between 1.8 to 2.0 billion dollars to deal with the delays.

The A400M aircraft is Europe's response to the aging C-130 Hercules transporter, produced by Lockheed. EADS has said the A400M will have greater airlift capacity and range than both the Hercules and the Transall.