BAE faces £120m lawsuit over decision to scrap support for aid aircraft

Britain’s biggest weapons manufacturer, BAE Systems, is facing a £120m lawsuit after scrapping support for aircraft used to deliver aid to some of the world’s neediest countries. EnComm Aviation, a Kenya-based aid cargo operator, claims the decision forced the cancellation of humanitarian contracts and reduced supplies to South Sudan, now threatened by famine , Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), among others. BAE Systems recently announced record sales of more than £30bn, driven by escalating defence spending as global conflicts and heightened military tensions fuel demand. EnComm announced it is taking legal action against BAE, alleging a breach in its duty of care after the company withdrew support for its Advanced Turbo-Prop (ATP) aircraft. Between March 2023 and last September, EnComm’s fleet of ATP aircraft delivered 18,677 tonnes of aid to Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, the DRC, Central African Republic and Chad. The aircraft was ideal for aid missions to remote locations because it could operate on short airstrips. Each aircraft could carry a load of 8.2 tonnes. EnComm cancelled several large humanitarian contracts after BAE’s decision, including a UN programme to fly aid to 12 destinations across Somalia where 6.5 million people are facing acute food insecurity . …