Africa's Burkina Faso Orders Airbus C295

The Ministry of Defense of Burkina Faso has placed a firm order for one Airbus C295 military airlifter. 

As part of its 2018-2022 Military Acquisition Law, the Burkina Faso Air Force will reinforce its military transport capabilities by joining the family of Airbus C295 operators, Airbus said in a statement Wednesday.

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, the company claims.

Earlier this year, Ivory Coast signed a contract to buy a C295 plane.

The C-295 has a payload capacity of 9,700 Kg and can transport up to 78 troops. Total length of the cabin is 12.69 metres. From a performance point of view, the CASA C-295 has a cruising speed of 260 KTAS (knots true airspeed), a cruising altitude of 25,000 and a range of 730 nautical miles with a maximum payload of 9,700 kg. In addition, the twin-wheeled nose gear provides operational improvements on unpaved runways.