Poland orders five Airbus military C295 aircraft
The Polish Air Force today signed a contract with Airbus Military for the acquisition of five C295 transport aircraft to further expand their transport capabilities. Deliveries will start end of this year and continue into 2013. The aircraft will join the existing C295s currently in service, increasing the fleet to 16 aircraft, and will be used to support the Polish Air Force in its national and international operations. “The C295 is working extremely well with the Polish Air Force and we are proud to have a further vote of confidence from our customer with this new order for a further five aircraft. We have a very close relationship with Poland also through our Polish subsidiary and we look forward to further expand our footprint in Poland”, said Domingo Ureña Raso, CEO of Airbus Military. “This order also underlines our leadership in this segment with over 110 orders of which 27 orders were placed this year.”
This now brings to the total orders for the C295 to 113, with 85 currently in operation with 13 countries.
The new generation C295 is the ideal aircraft for defence and civic missions to the benefit of society, such as humanitarian actions, maritime patrol, and environmental surveillance. Thanks to its robustness, reliability and simple systems, this medium sized tactical airlifter provides the versatility and flexibility necessary for personnel, troop and bulk or palletized cargo transportation, medical evacuation, communication and logistic duties, and certified air-dropping capabilities.
Its mix of dual technology civil/military equipment ensures success in demanding tactical missions, growth potential for systems development, as well as compatibility with the latest civil airspace requirements. The C295 is part of Airbus Military’s family of light and medium airlifters which also includes the smaller C212 and CN235.
PZL Warszawa Okecie, was acquired by Airbus Military (then EADS CASA) in 2001. It has two sites, Warsaw and Mielec, employing 620 people. The industrial activities range from the design and manufacturing of light trainer aircraft to the manufacturing of subassemblies for the Airbus Military CN235 and C295, and wiring harnesses for several commercial Airbus types. Specifically, it produces the outer wings for the Airbus Military C295 as well as the cargo doors, the ramp and the doors for the pilot, paratroopers and passengers on the CN235 and C295. This workshare has been recently increased with the assembly of the nose section for those aircraft, making the company the largest supplier to these programmes.
In November last year, Airbus Military also opened a new MRO Service Centre dedicated to the repair and servicing of Airbus Military C295 aircraft. This is Airbus Military’s second service centre in Europe, adding to the capabilities of its centre in Seville, Spain. The newly opened facility will perform the full scope of repair and service work for C295 airlifters operated by the Polish Air Force and other operators and potential clients in Europe and worldwide.
