European EMS company Avincis has been awarded new wildfire response contracts by Spain's Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) and the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha.

The new contracts build upon Avincis' ongoing firefighting operations in collaboration with the regional governments of Andalusia, Aragon, the Valencian community and Galicia. The company currently operates 39 firefighting aircraft across Spain and employs more than 300 professionals dedicated to this mission.

Rubén García Medina, managing director of Avincis for Spain and Portugal, comments: “These new contracts are a testament to the dedication of our teams and to the continued trust placed in us by MITECO and the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. We operate the most advanced aerial fleet in Europe, and we are proud to put it at the service of Spain's autonomous communities.”

The MITECO contract is part of Spain's national plan for wildfire prevention and emergency response, supporting regional authorities during fire outbreaks. Under the contract, Avincis will deploy 10 helicopters between 2025 and 2027, comprising nine medium-type Bell 412 helicopters for personnel transport and water bombing, and one semi-heavy Super Puma helicopter.

In addition, Avincis has been awarded two separate contracts in Castilla-La Mancha, both focused on personnel transport and water bombing during wildfires. Specifically, Avincis will deploy four aircraft, namely two semi-heavy Super Puma helicopters for the next three seasons and two medium-type Bell 412 helicopters for the following two seasons.

Avincis' global firefighting fleet includes more than 70 aircraft (a combination of helicopters and Canadair aircraft), operating in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Chile. In 2024 alone, this fleet logged more than 8,500 flight hours in wildfire suppression missions. Earlier this year, the company was awarded a seven-year contract to operate the world's largest fleet of CL-415 Canadair aircraft, owned by Italy's national firefighting brigade. Avincis is the largest private operator of Canadairs globally, operating 18 CL-415 and five CL-215 models.