Airbus CN235

Updated: October 2026 – A compact high-wing aircraft with two propellers drones over the runway, the tail sweeps steeply upward, and beneath it you see the outline of a cargo ramp: that is very likely a CN235 – or its big sister, the C295. The twin-engine transport from a Spanish-Indonesian joint production has flown for air forces, navies and coast guards on several continents for more than 35 years. Here you learn how to recognize it, who operates it today and how to reliably tell it from the C295.

What is the CN235?

The CN235 is a light transport with two turboprop engines, created as a joint project of the Spanish manufacturer CASA and the Indonesian company IPTN. In October 1979 the two founded the joint company Airtech, development officially ran from 1980, and in 1981 they presented the aircraft at the Paris Air Show. The goal was a robust aircraft for about 35 passengers or military cargo – equally interesting for regional airlines and armed forces.

Two prototypes were built in parallel: the Spanish one flew on November 11, 1983, the Indonesian one on December 30, 1983. After certification in June 1986 by Spain and Indonesia and in December 1986 by the US authority FAA, the type entered service in March 1988. The partners split production: Getafe near Madrid and Bandung on Java each built their own lines, with components coming from both countries.

Through several intermediate steps, CASA became part of Airbus, now Airbus Defence and Space – which is why the type is by now usually listed as the Airbus CN235. The Indonesian partner is now called PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) or Indonesian Aerospace. You can find more about the group on the Airbus page.

Design and technology

The concept follows the classic pattern of tactical transports: a high-mounted wing so the engines hang well above the ground and ingest fewer stones and less dust on unprepared runways; a fuselage that sits low to the ground so vehicles and pallets can roll straight in over the rear ramp; and landing gear in side fairings on the fuselage that leaves the cargo bay free. The cabin is strikingly wide for an aircraft of this size and pressurized. In the densest passenger version, four people sit side by side.

The CN235 is powered by two General Electric CT7 engines – the civil turboprop derivative of the T700 helicopter engine, which you also know from the Saab 340. The Series 10 still flew with the CT7-7A; from the Series 100 on, the more powerful CT7-9C arrived with new composite nacelles. The propellers are four-blade. You can find more about the engine manufacturer at GE Aerospace.

The versions at a glance

• Series 10: the first production version, 15 aircraft each from Spain and Indonesia, with the CT7-7A.
• Series 100/110: CT7-9C engines, standard from 1988; the 110 is the Indonesian variant with revised systems.
• Series 200/220: structurally strengthened for higher weights, aerodynamically improved, shorter takeoff and landing distances and considerably more range with a full load. The 220 is the Indonesian line.
• Series 300: Spanish further development with Honeywell avionics and an improved pressurized cabin.
• CN235 MPA: maritime surveillance with radar, sensors and operator consoles in the cabin; with the navies of Turkey and Mexico, among others.
• HC-144 Ocean Sentry: the US Coast Guard version for maritime surveillance and rescue missions.
• AC-235: a light gunship spin-off, of which Jordan operated two examples.

The three features that are enough to identify it

The CN235 is not an exotic that you can only identify with a data sheet. Three looks are enough in the vast majority of cases.

In the end, the identification confirms the type. On military aircraft it usually appears as a serial number on the tail or fuselage; how the system works in individual countries is explained in the article Understanding aircraft registrations.

CN235 or C295? The most important distinction

The Airbus C295 is the direct further development of the CN235. CASA started the program in the mid-1990s on the basis of the Spanish CN235, and the first prototype flew in November 1997. Both share the basic architecture – high wing, ramp, landing gear in fuselage fairings –, and that is exactly why they are the classic mix-up among spotters.

The C295 is not merely a stretched CN235. It has a cargo bay about three meters longer, a larger wingspan, more powerful engines and, according to Airbus, carries up to 9 tonnes, so about half as much again. The newer aircraft fly as the C295W with winglets. Some operators, such as the Irish Air Corps, have meanwhile replaced their CN235s with C295s.

Feature	CN235	C295
ICAO type designator	CN35	C295
Length	21.40 m	24.50 m
Wingspan	25.81 m	27.59 m
Engines	2 × GE CT7	2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127G
Blades per propeller	4	6, sickle-shaped
Max. takeoff weight	about 16 t	about 23 t
Winglets	no	yes on the C295W
First flight	1983	1997

The C295’s engines come from Pratt & Whitney and are closely related to those of the ATR. That only helps you, though, if you are close enough to compare nacelle shapes. The propellers remain the fastest feature.

Other look-alike candidates are the Antonov An-26, which is also a twin-engine high-wing aircraft with a rear cargo hatch but comes from an entirely different design school and looks differently proportioned, and the former Transall C-160, which was noticeably larger. The article Recognizing military transports gives a broader overview of the types in this class.

Operators worldwide

The CN235 is a genuine export hit. According to common reference works, armed forces and agencies in numerous countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas fly or have flown it. The figures below are guideline values from public overviews; fleet numbers change through retirements, losses and resales, so when in doubt, check current information.

Turkey: With about 59 aircraft across the Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, the country is the largest user. Part of the fleet was built under license by Turkish Aerospace. The Navy uses maritime patrol versions that have patrolled more intensively over the Black Sea since 2022.

France: The Air Force initially ordered eight aircraft and later reached 27. In 2020, a French CN235 helped with the oil spill after the MV Wakashio accident off Mauritius.

Spain: The Air Force operates about 18 aircraft, plus some examples of the Guardia Civil for surveillance tasks; Spain’s maritime rescue agency also used CN235 maritime patrol aircraft in the past. As the program’s home country, Spain is where you are most likely to catch the CN235 in everyday life.

Indonesia: The Air Force and Navy fly the type from domestic production. The line in Bandung continues to build Series 220 aircraft, also for export customers.

USA: Besides the Coast Guard’s 18 HC-144s, the US Air Force operates a smaller fleet of a good dozen CN235s.

Other operators include South Korea (Air Force and Coast Guard), Malaysia, Pakistan, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Mexico (Navy), Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Senegal, Botswana and Nepal.

Former users: The Irish Air Corps flew two CN235s as maritime patrol aircraft from 1994 and retired them in 2024; they were replaced by the C295. South Africa and Panama have also retired their aircraft.

The CN235 as a maritime patrol aircraft

A large part of today’s fleet flies not as a pure transport but over the sea. The reasons are obvious: two economical turboprops, long flight times, a large cabin for sensor operators and a ramp from which rescue equipment can be dropped. The HC-144 Ocean Sentry of the US Coast Guard is the best-known example. It was intended as the successor to the HU-25 Guardian, a business jet derivative, reached initial operational capability in 2009 and is being brought to the HC-144B standard under a modernization program.

How to recognize maritime patrol aircraft in general by radomes, sensor turrets and observation windows is shown in the article Recognizing AWACS, maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. The big representatives of the class are the Lockheed P-3 Orion and the Boeing P-8 Poseidon – the CN235 MPA is the smaller, cheaper alternative for coast guards and navies with limited budgets.

The CN235 in civil service

At first, the CN235 was also intended as a regional airliner. In Spain, the then Binter group, from which today’s Binter Canarias emerged, operated several aircraft from 1989 to 1997. In Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara at times flew about 15 examples. Against specialized regional turboprops such as the ATR 72-600 or the Dash 8, however, the CN235 could not prevail in passenger service: a ramp, a robust landing gear and military design cost weight and therefore economy. Civil CN235s are a rarity today.

Where you can catch the CN235

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the CN235 is not part of everyday life: none of the three air forces flies it. Sightings occur when foreign aircraft transport equipment or personnel, take part in exercises or visit airfields with a military section. That remains a matter of luck, though. These routes are more plannable:

• Airshows: Big events such as the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford or ILA Berlin regularly attract transports from many countries. Participant lists reveal which types are coming shortly before the event. You can find an overview of worthwhile dates under Airshows in Europe for plane spotters.
• Spain: As the program’s country of origin and an operator with an air force and Guardia Civil, Spain offers the best chances in everyday life – around military airfields and at coastal airports.
• France and Turkey: Both fly large fleets. If you are traveling there, you may get lucky at airports with military use.
• Museums: Historic individual aircraft occasionally stand in exhibitions after retirement. Whether a particular museum shows a CN235 is best checked beforehand on its website.

Before you position yourself at a military airfield, clarify the rules: where photography is allowed and where it is not is covered in the article Photographing military airfields: rules.

Photo tips specifically for the CN235

The CN235 is small but photogenic: the upswept tail section and the low fuselage line give it a distinctive silhouette. A few points help you.

If you are generally interested in rare types, the article Spotting rare aircraft helps with planning.

Common mix-ups and how to rule them out

If you want to reliably tell civil high-wing turboprops apart, you will find the right features in the article Telling turboprops apart.

Conclusion

The CN235 is one of the most successful light transports of recent decades. Created from a Spanish-Indonesian collaboration, it flies today for air forces, navies and coast guards in many countries – and it is the basis of the C295, which takes over its role with many customers. For spotters in Central Europe it remains a rare visitor, which is exactly why every sighting is a great catch for your hangar.