The Republic of Mali orders an additional Airbus C295

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Mali has placed a firm order for an additional Airbus C295 airlifter in the transport configuration. This second aircraft, to be delivered in 2021, will supplement the first C295 already in operation since December 2016 which has already accumulated 1,770 flight hours and transported more than 38,000 passengers and 900 tonnes of cargo in less than four years of operations.

This new order also includes an integrated logistics support package with spare parts for the two aircraft and training for flight crews and mechanics.

This acquisition is in response to the urgent need of the authorities of the Republic of Mali to have permanent air transport capacity within a very short timeframe, providing a vital link supporting operations and actions for the development of isolated areas in the northern regions of the country. Bernhard Brenner, Head of Marketing and Sales at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “This repeat order demonstrates the excellent capabilities and performance of our aircraft. The C295 is becoming the 21st century standard tactical airlifter in Africa with 37 aircraft ordered in the region, from Algeria, Egypt and Ghana to Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Mali.”

The Airbus C295 is a new-generation tactical airlifter in the light and medium segment. It is robust and reliable but also highly versatile in terms of the number of different missions it can perform.

The C295 conducts multi-role operations worldwide under all weather conditions. It is fully certified and routinely operates day and night in combat missions in all weather extremes, from desert to maritime environments, from extremely hot to extremely cold temperatures.

With the new C295W version equipped with winglets, the aircraft is capable of transporting more payload over larger distances in the hot and high conditions, resulting in fuel consumption savings of around 4% and increased safety margins in mountainous regions.

Today’s armed forces have increasing demands for various air transport missions. And no matter what the requirements for an operation are, the C295 stands ready to conduct its mission successfully.

Previously produced by Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA, a Spanish aircraft manufacturer that is now part of Airbus Defence and Space), the C295’s production takes place at Airbus’ facility in Spain. The aircraft has received orders from military and civil operators all over the world, from Canada and Egypt to Spain and Indonesia.

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