BAE faces £120m lawsuit over decision to scrap support for aid aircraft | Global development
Britain’s biggest arms manufacturer BAE Systems is facing a £120 million lawsuit after it cut support for planes used to deliver aid to the world’s neediest countries.
Kenya-based aid cargo operator EnComm Aviation claims the decision has led to the cancellation of humanitarian contracts and the reduction of supplies destined for South Sudan in danger of famineSomalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), among others.
BAE Systems recently announced record sales of more than £30bn, driven by rising defense spending as global conflicts and rising military tensions fuel demand.
EnComm announced that it would take legal action against the UAE for alleged breaches of its duty of care after the company withdrew its support to the UAE. 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, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Chad.
Since the aircraft could operate on short runways, it was ideal for aid missions to remote locations. Each aircraft can carry one 8.2 tons payload.
Following the UAE’s decision, EnComm canceled several major humanitarian contracts, including the UN program to deliver aid to 12 destinations across Somalia facing 6.5 million people. acute food insecurity.
Jackton Obuola, director of EnComm Aviation, said: “The UAE’s quest for profit has cut off humanitarian aid to those most in need, devastating lives and our business in the process.”
Obuola described the arms manufacturer’s decision to surrender the certificate revoking the airworthiness of the ATP as “almost unprecedented in the history of aviation” and noted that it came at a time when humanitarian aid was disrupted globally.
A pre-suit letter sent to BAE Systems by lawyers acting on behalf of EnComm referred to emails and meetings with BAE’s senior leaders; This letter is said to have led the cargo operator to believe that the arms manufacturer would provide ongoing support to its ATP for at least five years.
“We had to make this claim and hear the UAE’s statement in court to get an answer,” Obuola added.
In its case in the UK supreme court, EnComm Aviation claims BAE’s decision does not convert its fleet of aircraft into any real value other than scrap and is claiming £120 million in losses and damages.
A BAE Systems spokesman said: “We do not comment on ongoing litigation.”
