https://arab.news/8u5fw
- UK arms manufacturer withdraws license for Advanced Turbo-Prop commercial aircraft being operated across East Africa by EnComm Aviation for aid
- Move comes during year of record profits for BAE, buoyed in part by wars in Gaza and Ukraine
LONDON: BAE Systems, the UK’s largest arms manufacturer, has ended its support for a fleet of aircraft delivering aid to a number of the world’s poorest states, including Somalia and South Sudan.
The company withdrew the airworthiness license of its Advanced Turbo-Prop commercial aircraft with the UK Civil Aviation Authority, telling the EU Aviation Safety Agency it was “no longer produced” and that, to the company’s knowledge, “only (a) few aircraft are being operated.”
That means that the last known operator of the ATP, Kenyan air-cargo firm EnComm Aviation, will have to ground its fleet.
This comes during a year of record profits for BAE, totaling more than £3 billion ($3.99 billion), linked in part to higher defense spending related to Israel’s war in Gaza and the conflict in Ukraine. EnComm Aviation specializes in running contracts for humanitarian aid programs, one of which, run by the United Nation’s World Food Program, flies aid to 12 locations in Somalia.
According to the UN, 4.6 million people in the country face famine, and 1.8 million children aged under 5 suffer from malnutrition. According to documents seen by The Guardian newspaper, the contract between EnComm and the WFP in Somalia, scheduled to run until August 2026, has now been cancelled.
“The aid our aircraft delivered provided a lifeline to the people of South Sudan, Somalia and the DRC at a time of great global instability,” Jackton Obuola, EnComm Aviation’s director, said.
“BAE’s decision to suddenly withdraw support for all our planes has grounded the fleet and cut off vital supplies to those most in need. Now, the people of east Africa face an increasingly perilous situation while BAE prioritize their own commercial interests.”
The ATP was considered ideal for aid distribution as it can operate on small runways common in remote locations, while carrying around 8 tons of cargo. Between March 2023 and September 2025, EnComm delivered 18,677 tons of food aid to various countries including Somalia and South Sudan. One ton can feed around 1,660 people for a day.
A letter sent from lawyers acting for EnComm to BAE said the decision to ground the aircraft was taken “without any consultation with or formal notice to EnComm,” with the firm having previously understood through meetings with BAE that the ATP would be supported for another five years.
It added that its fleet of 12 aid planes now “cannot be operated” and are “worthless for their intended purpose.” EnComm is seeking £187 million in losses and damages from BAE, claiming “negligent misrepresentation and misstatement.”