AIRBUS : Mexico becomes launch customer for new Airbus C295W

The Mexican Navy (Semar) has become the launch customer of the latest version of the market-leading Airbus C295 medium transport aircraft - the new C295W equipped with winglets.

Thanks to the winglets, the C295W will be able to transport more payload to a longer distance with around a 4% fuel savings, even in hot and high conditions.

The Mexican Navy has specified the winglets for two C295s, for which the order was already announced, and winglets will be standard for all new C295s ordered from now on.

"The advantage of the winglets in hot and high conditions means that the development of the C295W is a key step for our highly successful light and medium transport family. And it is a particular pleasure to deliver this first aircraft to Mexico, which already has the biggest Airbus Defence and Space transport fleet in Latin America," said Antonio Rodríguez Barberán, Head of Commercial for Airbus Defence and Space in Latin America.

"The C295 has served us well for many years. We had some concerns about operating a mixed fleet of aircraft with and without winglets, but when we studied the enhanced performance of this new version it was clear that it would bring very significant operating benefits for us that could not be ignored", said Rear Admiral from Mexican Navy, José María García Macedo.

Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe's number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs more than 38,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €13 billion per year.