Germany fines Airbus $14 million over A400M delays

People are silhouetted past a logo of the Airbus Group during the Airbus annual news conference in Colomiers, near Toulouse January 13, 2015. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has fined Airbus 13 million euros ($14 million) for the late delivery of two A400M military transport planes due this year, according to documents seen by Reuters on Friday.

The sum relates to two planes that the German Air Force was supposed to receive by the end of this year, according to a letter from Deputy Defence Minister Ralf Brauksiepe to the rapporteur of the Budget committee.

Neither Airbus nor the Defence Ministry wanted to comment on the payment.

Germany has ordered 53 of the planes and the German armed forces currently only have one in operation. The army was due to receive five this year, but will now only get one or two.

German magazine Spiegel originally reported that Airbus would have to compensate the government for the delays.

($1 = 0.9322 euros)

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Caroline Copley; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)