BAE Systems Faces £187 Million Legal Threat Over Withdrawal of Support for African Aid Aircraft

BAE Systems is confronted with a potential £187 million legal action following the alleged withdrawal of support for its Advanced Turbo Prop (ATP) aircraft, a move that has disrupted aid operations across Africa. EnComm Aviation, a Kenyan company and the last operator of the ATP model, has issued a formal letter before action, claiming the British aerospace giant failed in its commitment to provide continued support.

According to legal representatives at White & Case’s London office, BAE withdrew support for the ageing aircraft type in May, doing so abruptly and without stakeholder consultation. This step is said to have forced EnComm to halt its operations, resulting in over 50 job losses on the continent and the cancellation of long-term contracts, including two ten-year lease deals and a partnership with the World Food Programme for aid distribution.

Executives at EnComm maintain that BAE had given assurances the ATP would remain supported for at least five years, or for as long as any ATP aircraft remained operational globally. In the last two years, EnComm invested nearly £100 million in development, acquiring additional ATP airframes from storage and commissioning the world’s only operational full-motion ATP-type simulator, positioning itself as a critical logistics provider to humanitarian agencies in Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Jackton Obuola, EnComm’s director, described BAE’s withdrawal as ‘sudden and shocking’, stating it brought aid flights delivering nearly 18700 tonnes of relief supplies to an immediate halt. The absence of consultation has left the Nairobi-based company little recourse, and the legal challenge seeks to prompt both an explanation and possible remedies from the UK defence contractor.

A spokesperson for BAE said the company would not comment on ongoing or potential litigation. The development comes as BAE also faces industrial unrest in Lancashire, where over 400 employees recently voted to strike amid a pay dispute. The legal dispute highlights not only contractual obligations within the aerospace sector, but also the critical interdependence of manufacturers and humanitarian logistics in regions affected by conflict and poverty.

Additional scrutiny will now fall on BAE’s approach to legacy aircraft support, particularly where public welfare and long-term commercial commitments intersect.