In what Airbus Defence and Space described as “a pioneering deal,” a Canadian leasing company placed a firm order for 12 C295 medium airlifters. Stellwagen, a subsidiary of publicly-listed Acasta Enterprises, hopes to place the aircraft with humanitarian agencies, freight operators flying into austere airfields and government agencies that operate (for instance) search and rescue services.

“This is a genuinely exciting agreement which can create a new business model,” said Airbus D&S head of marketing and sales Bernhard Brenner. “We have intensively studied the C295’s potential for use in civilian operations throughout the world,” said Stellwagen chief executive officer Douglas Brennan. The C295 has now logged orders for 198 aircraft. The agreement with Stellwagen includes an option for an additional 12 C295s.