Europe’s huge wildfires strain waterbomber capacity, aerial firefighting firm Avincis says
(Recasts story to remove misspelling of company name in paragraph 5)
By Tim Hepher
PARIS, July 27 (Reuters) – Europe’s largest aerial emergency services company, Avincis, has warned that Europe is not ready for longer, more severe bushfire seasons, while its chief executive told Reuters its firefighting planes are now needed almost all year round.
CEO John Boag said longer wildfire seasons and bureaucratic hurdles in Europe have exacerbated regional shortages of both aircraft and the experienced pilots needed to fly them.
“Globally, fire seasons are getting longer, planes are not moving between regions, and pilots are becoming harder to reach,” Boag said in an interview.
Boag’s comments, a helicopter pilot who began his career herding cattle in the Australian outback in a Bell 47 helicopter in 1985, come as France and Spain battle historic bushfires after weeks of drought turned forests into major fire risks.
Lisbon-based Avincis says Europe is under pressure in part because extra months of firefighting have narrowed the window of movement between hemispheres, leaving gaps in capacity.
“Originally the busiest period of the year during the summer was three or four months… Now we have flights starting in March and April and going through October,” Boag said.
Wet winters worsen the problem by increasing the growth of vegetative material that can later turn into tinder. The spread of fire risk towards the North is equally worrying.
“You’re at a point where governments are going to have to keep aircraft available to cover a 12-month period because commercial companies can’t go South (southern hemisphere) and generate more revenue in the off-season,” Boag said.
PILOT EMPLOYMENT OBSTACLES
Avincis has a fleet of 180 helicopters and 40 fixed-wing aircraft worldwide; these included 22 Canadair water bombs.
Avincis has flown more than 5,000 hours on firefighting operations so far this year in Spain and Portugal, where it operates 47 aircraft; This is more than double that of the same period in 2025.
Europe has already bulk purchased 22 Canadian durable water skimmers from Toronto-based De Havilland Canada. A new model is coming after a decade-long production halt, but its first customer won’t reach Greece until 2028.
Alternatives are few.
Airbus A400M military aircraft participated in firefighting efforts in France and dropped 20 tons of retardant. Others, including China’s Comac, announced potential aircraft variants at last week’s Farnborough Airshow, and HYNAERO, a French startup, is in the early design stages of an amphibious aircraft that will be ready in 2032.
Firefighting is challenging and relies on low-level, precision flight in the face of unpredictable air currents. Experts say there is a shortage of experienced pilots and technicians.
Boag faulted European rules that require pilots to retake civil aviation exams if they come from abroad or from the military.
“We need a way to bring people to Europe quickly, without bureaucracy,” Boag said. “The aerodynamics of the helicopter are the same in the military and civilian world.”
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had no comment on pilot licensing rules.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Susan Fenton)
