LONDON: BAE Systems, the United Kingdom’s largest arms manufacturer, has withdrawn its support for a fleet of aircraft used to deliver aid to some of the world’s poorest countries, including Somalia and South Sudan.
The company revoked the airworthiness license for its Advanced Turbo-Prop commercial aircraft with the UK Civil Aviation Authority. BAE informed the EU Aviation Safety Agency that the aircraft is “no longer produced” and, to its knowledge, only a small number remain in operation.
That means that the last known operator of the ATP, Kenyan air-cargo firm EnComm Aviation, will have to ground its fleet.
This move comes during a year when BAE Systems reported record profits exceeding £3 billion ($3.99 billion), partly driven by increased defence spending linked to Israel’s war in Gaza and the conflict in Ukraine.
EnComm Aviation, a company that manages contracts for humanitarian aid programs, operates a United Nations World Food Program (WFP) initiative that delivers aid to 12 locations in Somalia.
According to the UN, 4.6 million people in Somalia are facing famine, and 1.8 million children under the age of five are suffering from malnutrition. Documents obtained by The Guardian indicate that the contract between EnComm and the WFP, originally scheduled to run until August 2026, has now been cancelled.
“The aid our aircraft delivered provided a lifeline to the people of South Sudan, Somalia, and the DRC at a time of great global instability,” Jackton Obuola, EnComm Aviation’s director, said.
“BAE’s decision to suddenly withdraw support for all our planes has grounded the fleet and cut off vital supplies to those most in need. Now, the people of East Africa face an increasingly perilous situation while BAE prioritises their own commercial interests.”
The Advanced Turbo-Prop (ATP) was seen as particularly well-suited for aid delivery because it can operate from small runways often found in remote areas while carrying approximately 8 tons of cargo. Between March 2023 and September 2025, EnComm Aviation transported 18,677 tons of food aid to countries including Somalia and South Sudan. One ton of this aid is enough to feed roughly 1,660 people for a single day.
A letter sent from lawyers acting for EnComm to BAE said the decision to ground the aircraft was taken “without any consultation with or formal notice to EnComm,” with the firm having previously understood through meetings with BAE that the ATP would be supported for another five years.
