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The UK's primary arms manufacturer has quietly terminated support for a group of planes that were delivering crucial humanitarian aid to some of the globe's poorest countries.

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Multiple African Nations

The decision further reduces the delivery of vital assistance to nations facing severe humanitarian crises, including Somalia and the DRC.

This defense firm recently announced historic earnings of over £3bn, boosted by increased defense spending linked to global tensions.

Market observers believe the action to scrap maintenance for the humanitarian aircraft was taken to enable the company to focus on projects related to increased defense budgets by global alliances.

Major Humanitarian Agreements Terminated

Several critical aid agreements have been terminated following the announcement, among them one with the United Nations' World Food Programme to transport supplies to 12 destinations across East Africa where nearly 5 million individuals face emergency situations of food insecurity.

This situation follows the company's move to voluntarily surrender the airworthiness approval granted by the Britain's aviation regulator for its final commercial aircraft model.

The manufacturer notified EU aircraft authorities that these models were no longer manufactured and that, as far as they knew, very few planes remained in operation.

Consequences on Humanitarian Operations

Although several countries still have the planes listed, the last known user was a East African air-cargo company that specialized in delivering humanitarian aid across east Africa.

"Our aid our aircraft delivered represented a crucial support to the people of South Sudan and the Congo during a time of significant worldwide uncertainty," commented the operator's director.

"This unexpected termination of support for all planes has grounded the planes and cut off essential supplies to those most in need. Now, the people of east Africa face an growing perilous crisis while the manufacturer prioritizes their own profits."

Between spring 2023 and last month, the fleet delivered 18,677 tons of aid to South Sudan, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo and other African nations.

Nutrition Security Calculations

Per aid agencies, one tonne of food – typically containing grains, legumes and oil – can meet the daily needs of approximately 1,660 individuals.

The particular plane type was considered ideal for aid operations because it could operate on shorter runways that are common in remote areas. Each aircraft could transport a payload of over 8 tons.

Juridical Proceedings Initiated

One pre-action letter submitted by lawyers acting for the operator to the manufacturer states that, following the announcement, its twelve humanitarian aircraft "cannot be operated" and are now "valueless for their intended use".

This documentation references emails and discussions between the company's executives and the airline that the Nairobi-based firm claims show it was led to believe that ongoing maintenance would be offered for at least five years.

The correspondence adds that the decision was taken "without any consultation with or formal notification to" the operator.

The representative for the arms manufacturer said: "We do not provide statements on potential litigation."

Permanent Decision

At the same time, correspondence from the manufacturer indicate that its move to revoke the airworthiness certificate for the aircraft is "final and irreversible".

One letter from the arms firm's director of regional aircraft programs, dated May 2025, said the company intended to notify the UK Civil Aviation Authority it wanted to "start the process to voluntarily relinquish the aircraft type certificate."

Aid Emergency Statistics

• Across Somalia, over four million people face crisis levels of hunger
• Approximately two million children aged below five years are experiencing severe hunger
• Throughout the nation, 7.7 million people face serious hunger – over 50% the entire people
• An unprecedented 27.7 million people in the Congo are facing severe hunger

The situation is most severe in eastern provinces where communities have been deprived of access to their income sources after prolonged conflict in the region.

Since the company's announcement, the operator has ceased operations in Kenya and is now seeking £187m in damages and compensation for what it calls "negligent false information and misstatement" by the manufacturer.

Industry experts expect the defense manufacturer's profits to increase more this year as it profits from rising defense expenditure worldwide amid growing global tensions.