The first prototype made its maiden flight on 26 March 1971, and an order was secured from the Spanish Air Force three years thereafter.

Several other customers emerged, initially from the military sector but, due to the interest of civilian airliners, CASA developed a dedicated civil version of the C-212 as well.

For a time, PTDI produced both the NC-212-200 and the -400 upgrade, which were equipped with new digital avionics and autopilot, and featured a redesigned cabin that could accommodate up to 28 passengers.

[4] These operators included numerous charter and short-haul aviation companies as well as various national air services, which commonly used as a transport, surveillance aircraft, and for search and rescue.

During the late 1960s, the Spanish Air Force was operating a number of outdated piston-engined transports, including the three-engined Junkers Ju 52 and two-engined Douglas C-47.

Several airlines expressed interest in the type, particularly in light of its success with military operators, thus CASA decided to pursue development of a dedicated commercial version of the C-212.

[7] During July 2010, Domingo Urena-Raso, CEO of Airbus Military, stated that the company could no longer afford to produce the C-212 in Europe.

[4] During 1975, the Indonesian aircraft company IPTN successfully negotiated terms with CASA to produce up to 108 C-212s under license in Indonesia.

[4] CASA provided technical assistance in establishing their production line, sending a delegation of technicians to Bandung to train local personnel; the relative simplicity of the C-212 design was credited with aiding the process.

[12] Between 2004 and 2008, all of the jigs and fixtures necessary to produce the NC212-400 were supplied by Airbus and installed at Bandung, enabling Indonesia to become the single-source manufacturer of this model.

[4][16] For a time, PTDI produced both the NC-212-200 and the -400 upgrade, which were equipped with new digital avionics and autopilot, and featured a redesigned cabin that could accommodate up to 28 passengers.

[17] Features such as its STOL performance and rugged landing gear fitted with low-pressure tyres enables it to operate from unpaved fields and under hot-and-high conditions.

[18] It has seen especially wide employment as a commuter airliner and a military aircraft, with its operators including numerous charter and short-haul aviation companies and several national air forces.

[20] One particularly ambitious use of the C-212 was undertaken by the Australian airline Skytraders, which has used its fleet to support Australia’s scientific research assets across Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

[17] On account of its uncommon rear ramp arrangement, the C-212 has a unique selling point amongst its competitors;[8] thus, it became a popular aircraft among skydivers and smokejumpers.

Between 2004 and 2008, production jigs and fixtures for the NC-212-400 were relocated to Bandung from San Pablo, Spain, and PTDI became the sole manufacturer of the NC-212 family.