On 16 November 2021, the Armée de l’Air Burkinabé (Burkina Faso Air Force) took delivery of their first Airbus C295W military transport aircraft with serial XT-MBH (construction number 202) to be operated by Escadron de Transport 511 at Base Aérienne 511 Ouagadougou (BA511).
Burkina Faso ordered the C295W on 11 December 2019 to reinforce the nation’s military transport capabilities, with a current transport squadron consisting of three Beech B200s and one CN235-200, however the CN235 is reported as stored.
The C295W acquisition is part of the country’s 2018-2022 Military Acquisition Law, which allows the Burkina Faso Air Force to reinforce its military transport capabilities by joining the family of Airbus C295 operators.
The C295 is adapted to perform in the harsh sub-Saharan Africa operating environment. Together with its affordable maintenance and operational costs, the C295 is the perfect match for the climatic conditions of Burkina Faso.
Bernhard Brenner, Head of Marketing and Sales for Airbus Defence and Space, said during the order announcement, “We are very proud to see that with Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Mali, Ivory Coast and now Burkina Faso, the C295 is becoming the 21st Century’s standard tactical airlifter in Africa, with 36 aircraft operating in the region.”
By Victor Shalton Odhiambo
