Overview
- The aircraft, the first of 40 C-295s to be assembled at the Tata‑Airbus Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, completed its maiden test flight on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, and has moved into post‑production testing.
- The C-295 programme stems from a 2021 Rs 21,935 crore contract for 56 aircraft, with 16 delivered from Spain and 40 to be built in India under a technology‑transfer partnership between Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems.
- Programme partners say the Vadodara FAL will source most structural work and thousands of parts from Indian suppliers and MSMEs, with reported localisation targets above 85 percent for structural components.
- Next steps include more flight sorties, certification and quality checks before the first India‑built C-295 is handed over to the Indian Air Force later in 2026, and a ramp‑up in production and MRO capability over the coming years.
- The C-295 is intended to replace ageing Avro‑748/An‑32 transports and offers higher payload, short take‑off and landing performance, and multi‑role use for troop movement, cargo, medevac and special operations.