On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, the 8th Airlift Base in Kraków, Poland, has announced that the fleet of medium transport aircraft Airbus C295M has surpassed a total flight time of 100,000 hours during 21 years of service in the Polish Air Force.
Photo: 8th Airlift Base in Kraków
The Polish Air Force currently operates sixteen C295M aircraft (one was tragically lost in a crash near the 12th Air Base in Mirosławiec on January 23, 2008). The first eight aircraft (with an option for four more) were purchased on August 28, 2001, under a contract with the then EADS Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA) for the equivalent of 211.5 million USD. The first aircraft were delivered two years later. Subsequently, an additional 11 aircraft were ordered through a direct procurement process due to increasing operational needs: two in 2007, two in 2008, and five in 2012-2013.
These aircraft have been carrying out key missions for the Polish Armed Forces for years — from humanitarian operations to combat missions, both domestically and as part of allied commitments to NATO and the UN, spanning Europe, Africa, and Asia.
On December 13 of last year, the State Treasury – Armament Agency, on behalf of the Ministry of National Defense, signed a contract worth 102.7 million EUR net (437.77 million PLN net/538.46 million PLN gross) with the Spanish company Airbus Defence & Space (part of the European Airbus group) for the modernization and unification of the Polish C295M fleet.
These aircraft transport not only people and equipment but also participate in Akcja Serce missions (“Action Heart,” a decades-long military initiative dedicated to transporting organs for transplantation), saving lives — last year, 104 such missions were completed, including those involving M28/PT/GC Bryza aircraft. In 2023, airmen from the 8th Airlift Base carried out a total of 69 tasks as part of the Akcja Serce
The C295M aircraft have also been used to support flights for the country’s most important officials (VIPs), and the airmen of the 8th Airlift Base in Kraków-Balice have made history by earning the right to wear the pilot badge with a green wreath — a symbol of participation in combat missions, marking the first such distinction since World War II.
“Behind this achievement stand not only the pilots but also the entire team — technicians, mechanics, ground personnel, and everyone who ensures the operational readiness of the aircraft and the safety of flights every day. These are people who, with passion and dedication, continue the over 100-year tradition of Polish aviation, building its future and raising the bar for future generations. Aviation is not just about machines but above all about generations of people who pass on their knowledge, experience, and passion. Today, CASA C295M aircraft and their crews are symbols of professionalism, commitment, and modernity in the service of the Homeland. We congratulate all the soldiers and employees of the 8th Airlift Base on this remarkable achievement and wish them many more safe hours in the air,” reads the press release.
