Press Release

Issued by Babcock Mission Critical Services Espana.

March 3, 2015

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Magrama) has awarded contracts to INAER for four of the five helicopters providing firefighting, surveillance and forest fire coordination services for the 2015 winter-spring season. This service will remain active during the months of March, April and part of May. The aircraft resources for this new contract include four Bell 412 transport helicopters that can carry six people and a cargo load of 900-1,000 litres each. These four helicopters will be stationed at air bases in Pino Franqueado, Ruente, Tabuyo del Monte, and Tineo. INAER can boast the extensive experience and expertise of its flight crews and aircraft maintenance technicians in the field of fire prevention and firefighting. In 2014, INAER aircraft conducted over 3,700 firefighting operations, for a total of 6,216 hours in-flight. During the past firefighting season, INAER España had over 85 aircraft equipped with the most sophisticated resources for this type of activity, resulting in a record low number of fires and affected areas for the past ten years. The importance and effectiveness of helicopters and airplanes in firefighting is yet another reason justifying the expansion of resources dedicated to fire prevention and firefighting activities.