More Second Hand Indonesian CN-235 Enters African Market

14 Juli 2019

CN235-110M of the President of Madagascar (photo : Presidence de Madagascar)

Madagascar has recently unveils its nine new aircraft consist of an IAe CN-235-110M, three AS350 Squirrel helicopters, five Cessna 206 aircraft. The CN-235 was formerly operated by the Botswana Defence Force Air Wing. It was initially sold to Togolese Air Force in 2012 as part of fleet capitalisation of the former. The deal did not materialised though and the Indonesian-made aircraft, acquired by Botswana in 1988 find itself in South Africa before eventually ended up in Madagascar hand.

The CN-235 and the C206 will be used in support of the air transport operation of the Malagasy military as well as Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) and Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Response (HADR) operations.

The Malagasy CN-235 is the second Indonesian made aircraft that ended up in Africa’s secondary market. Previously a CN-235-110 aircraft formerly operated by the United Arab Emirates Air Defence & Air Force (UAEADAF) was handed over to the Mauritanian Air Force  last May 2019.

This was not the first CN-235 operated over Madagascar as Tiko Air had previously operated a former South African Air Force (SAAF) CN-235 until 2006.

(MFH)