Airbus Canada is reportedly hurrying to swap out two aircraft without specifying exact timelines.
Portugal has received two replacement Canadair firefighting aircraft to help combat wildfires, as the country faces a high risk of fire and is currently on alert. The original two Canadair planes assigned to the Special Device for Fighting Rural Fires (DECIR) and a backup third one became inoperative before August 11, 2025, but the specific reasons for their breakdowns have not been publicly disclosed.
The replacement Canadair planes started arriving in Portugal on August 12, 2025, with the first plane arriving on Tuesday, August 12, and the second arriving on Thursday, August 14. This has helped restore the heavy firefighting fleet, although a third Canadair aircraft, available to replace any breakdowns, is also out of service.
The Portuguese Air Force (FAP) is in charge of the contracting process for aerial means of combating wildfires. However, they have deferred detailed disclosure of the reasons for the breakdowns to the leasing and operating companies responsible for the aircraft. The FAP is not responsible for the maintenance or repair of the Canadair aircraft.
The situation coincides with a high wildfire risk period in Portugal, with severe fires consuming large areas. Several fires have broken out in the north and center of Portugal this year, consuming an area of nearly 60,000 hectares. The National Authority for Civil Emergency and Protection (ANEPC) has confirmed that the heavy firefighting Canadair aircraft in Portugal are currently out of service.
Portugal has also activated bilateral cooperation with Morocco, receiving two additional Canadair planes as reinforcements. The companies responsible for the aircraft's operation have not yet announced a timeline for replacing the inoperational Canadair aircraft. The FAP has referred the reasons for the breakdowns of the Canadair aircraft to the companies responsible for their operation.
The urgent need to restore aerial firefighting capacity comes as Portugal remains on alert due to the risk of fire. The FAP is not providing information on the specific reasons why the Canadair aircraft are inoperational, and no other aerial means of combating wildfires have been mentioned as being inoperational in Portugal. The companies responsible for leasing and operating the Canadair aircraft in Portugal are subject to penalties when they fail to fulfill their contracts.
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