CN-235 and C-295 Stick Around

The C-235 and C-295 which are Airbus Military's bread and butter will remain on the market for the next decade at least, says Domingo Urena, the company's CEO. “We don't see any market needs” for a new platform of this size, he says “and I don't see our competitors moving in this area either.”

Wrapping up a 2-day trade media briefing in Seville and Madrid, Urena added that his R&D department always had something on the table, but these are obviously no more than doodles for the moment.

The market for these medium and light aircraft is buoyant and the company is targeting to sell 20 to 25 per year including to several US government departments “with whom we are working to offer small and medium aircraft in the short term,” he says.

In the more immediate future – the next 12 months – he says the company aims to have the A400M certified and to  ramp up the A400M services sector. Overall Airbus Military aims to increase the current 10-15% of income from services to 40%. And despite losing the tanker competition to Boeing in the United States, the tanker area remains “very active.” He says “we hope to win one campaign a year.”

“And of course, make decent and reasonable money!”

Tags: ar99, AirbusMilitary