Delivery of first Made-in-India C-295 aircraft delayed

The first locally manufactured C-295 tactical transport aircraft in India has missed its initial September 2026 delivery schedule. Airbus has attributed this delay to an extended validation and testing phase. While no new target for delivery has been set yet, the Indian Air Force had previously confirmed that delivery could take an additional one to two months.

Responding to queries regarding the schedule, Airbus stated that they are working closely with Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Indian MSME supply chain partners. The company said they are working to complete an extended phase of validation and flight testing to ensure the highest standards of implementation and delivery.

In an Airbus statement, it was further added, "The C295 India programme is a flagship project that requires dedicated local capacity building. The C295 Make in India programme is a complex and first-of-its-kind endeavour, for which Airbus, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Indian supply chain MSME partners have put in years of intensive and dedicated effort to establish private sector capability in India to manufacture and fly the first aircraft."

The company further stated that they are working in conjunction with their industrial partners and are fully aligned with their customer on the way forward for the programme.

Recently, former Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh confirmed that the Indian production line has reached the testing stage. He noted that minor issues are currently being resolved on this specific airframe. This airframe is the 17th in an order of 56 aircraft, but it is the first aircraft to be fully manufactured in Vadodara. This aircraft completed its first test flight in June 2026.

Under this project, Airbus had delivered the first 16 aircraft directly from Spain, while the remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured locally to build private sector defence aerospace capability.

This change in the C-295 schedule adds to the broader struggle of delays in Indian Air Force local aviation platforms. The Ministry of Defence had signed a ₹48,000 crore contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for 83 Tejas fighters in February 2021. The Tejas Mk1A is a prime example of such delays. The initial delivery for this order was scheduled for March 2024, but the Indian Air Force has not yet received a single aircraft from this order. The first lot of these aircraft is expected to be received by the end of this financial year.

Under the C-295 programme, Airbus is partnering with Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Indian MSME suppliers, involving a total order of 56 aircraft. The remaining 40 aircraft are planned to be manufactured in Vadodara.