MANILA (PNA) -- Like the rest of Philippine Air Force (PAF) transport aircraft, all three newly-acquired Airbus Military C-295 will be based in Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu for maintenance purposes.
The Ebuen Air Base is the headquarters of PAF's 220th Airlift Wing.
"In terms of operation, they (C-295) will be here in Manila to ferry passengers but in terms of maintenance, they will be back in Mactan (Benito Ebuen Air Base)," PAF chief-of-air staff Major Gen. Gerard Galileo Kintanar said.
The last C-295 is expected to be delivered on Dec. 10. The second was delivered in Sept. 15 and commissioned last Dec. 5.
The first C-295 arrived last March 22 and was formally accepted for PAF service in March 30.
The Department of National Defense contract with Airbus Military for the three C-295 transport aircraft is worth PHP5.29 billion.
The C-295 is categorized as medium lift aircraft equivalent to the Fokker F-27 aircraft being maintained by the 220th Airlift Wing, the C-295s have rear ramp door similar to that of the C-130s for easier access and loading/unloading of passengers and cargoes.
It can carry as much as 71 passengers, 50 paratroops, 24 stretchers with five to seven attendants or up to about 20,000 lbs of cargoes.
It is capable of short field landing and takeoff and has a top speed of 358 miles per hour.
The aircraft departed from Seville, Spain last March 16 where it was assembled.
It was flown into the country by civilian pilots and crew of Airbus Military.
(PNA)
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