Türkiye has opened its military aircraft MRO services to foreign operators. Military Factory and Shipyard Management Inc. (ASFAT) has signed a contract to perform maintenance work on a CN-235 transport aircraft belonging to the Senegal Air Force. The aircraft has already arrived at the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate in Kayseri, where the work will be carried out.
The agreement marks the first time ASFAT has undertaken maintenance work for a foreign military aircraft. The Kayseri facility is already responsible for heavy maintenance and overhaul of CN-235 aircraft operated by the Turkish Air Force and serves as one of the main centres sustaining Türkiye’s fleet of the type.
ASFAT manages export-oriented defence industry services using facilities operated by the Turkish Ministry of National Defence, including the 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate in Kayseri. The arrangement allows international customers to access the maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities of Türkiye’s military factory infrastructure.
The same infrastructure has previously supported large-scale programmes involving Airbus aircraft. In particular, the facility carried out retrofit and modification work on Türkiye’s fleet of nine A400M strategic transport aircraft as part of an upgrade programme conducted in cooperation with Airbus, creating significant technical expertise in complex military transport aircraft maintenance.
The arrival of the Senegalese CN-235 in Kayseri signals that this experience is now being offered to international customers and could pave the way for additional international maintenance work.
Senegal operates a small fleet of CN-235 aircraft, including two transport variants and one maritime patrol aircraft configured for coastal surveillance missions. The aircraft are used for tactical transport, maritime security operations in the Gulf of Guinea and medical evacuation tasks.
The CN-235 tactical transport aircraft is widely used by air forces operating in regions with limited infrastructure. Its turboprop configuration, moderate payload capacity and ability to operate from short or semi-prepared runways make it suitable for logistics, troop transport, medical evacuation and maritime surveillance missions.
Maintenance infrastructure for the aircraft has historically been concentrated in Europe through Airbus Defence and Space and in Indonesia through PT Dirgantara Indonesia, the aircraft’s second manufacturer. For many operators, this has meant long ferry flights and extended downtime for heavy maintenance.
The introduction of export maintenance services at Kayseri therefore offers a closer and potentially more accessible option for operators in neighbouring regions. Türkiye’s geographical position between Europe, the Middle East and Africa could make the facility an attractive maintenance location for CN-235 fleets across a wide area.
With the Senegal contract, Kayseri’s 2nd Air Maintenance Factory Directorate has effectively entered the international military aircraft maintenance market, potentially opening the door for additional work from CN-235 operators in Africa and beyond.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
