Avincis, Europe’s largest aerial emergency services firm, is warning that the continent is not ready for the increasingly longer and more extreme wildfire seasons. The company’s chief executive, John Boag, stated that its firefighting aircraft are now needed almost year-round.
Challenges in Firefighting
Boag cited longer European wildfire seasons and bureaucratic obstacles as factors exacerbating regional shortages of both aircraft and experienced pilots. He emphasized that globally, fire seasons are getting longer, and aircraft are not moving between areas, while pilots are becoming harder to find.
The comments come as France and Spain battle historic wildfires after weeks of drought turned forests into major fire risks. Avincis notes that Europe is under strain in part because the extra months of firefighting narrow the window for moving capacity between hemispheres, leaving gaps in capacity.
Pilot Recruitment Hurdles
Avincis has a fleet of 180 helicopters and 40 fixed-wing planes worldwide, including 22 Canadair waterbombers. In Spain and Portugal, the company has flown more than 5,000 hours in firefighting operations so far this year, more than double the same period in 2025.
Boag faulted European rules that require pilots to re-sit civil aviation exams if coming from abroad or the military, calling for a pathway to get people into Europe quickly without the bureaucracy.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
