As France grappled with its most severe wildfire crisis since the Second World War, President Emmanuel Macron faced backlash over the government’s readiness for the fires’ magnitude. Amid this, attention turned to Canada, where a lack of Canadairs was highlighted by Didou Deyres, vice-president of Le Porge’s forest fire defense department. Deyres pointed out that out of France’s 12 yellow water bombers, only seven were operational during the peak of the crisis, emphasizing the need for more firefighting resources.
While humorously mentioning Canada as a scapegoat, Deyres stressed the importance of collaboration to upgrade the firefighting planes. The surge in demand for Canadian-made water bombers in Europe, driven by droughts and heatwaves, has strained resources. To address this, European countries have ordered 22 new Canadair 515 aircraft from De Havilland Canada since 2022, with deliveries anticipated to begin in 2028.
Despite the unmatched performance of Canadair planes in firefighting operations, concerns have been raised about the slow pace of production. The shortage of these critical aircraft has led to calls for De Havilland to ramp up manufacturing to meet increasing demands. However, the company insists on waiting for firm orders before expanding production, risking losing its market dominance.
As competition in the firefighting aircraft industry intensifies, with new entrants emerging, De Havilland faces the challenge of maintaining its position. With wildfire seasons growing longer and governments urgently seeking to bolster their fleets, experts suggest that De Havilland needs to invest in expanding production capacity to meet the rising global demand for water-scooping aircraft.