Avincis has completed more than 9,200 flight hours and nearly 3,900 firefighting missions across Spain, Portugal and Italy during the 2026 wildfire season, with crews dropping nearly 200 million litres of water, equivalent to almost 80 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Firefighting flight hours across the three countries have risen by nearly 90% compared with the same period last year. Globally, Avincis operates a firefighting fleet of around 70 aircraft, including 22 Canadair water bombers, allowing it to reinforce operations in southern Europe as seasonal demand peaks. Across Spain and Portugal, the company has logged 5,630 flight hours and 2,533 missions, dropping more than 120 million litres of water with a mixed fleet of 52 aircraft, including the Canadair CL-215, Airbus AS332, AS350 and AS355, and Bell 212, 407 and 412 helicopters, supported by 266 personnel. In Italy, 279 professionals have completed 3,600 flight hours and 1,360 missions, dropping 79.5 million litres of water. The company operates 18 Canadair CL-415 aircraft there on behalf of the Corpo Nazionale dei Vigili del Fuoco, with fleet readiness close to 100%.

John Boag, Group CEO of Avincis, says: “Wildfire seasons are becoming longer, and the pressure is being felt across the industry. Aircraft that once operated for three or four months during the summer are required from as early as March through to October. This makes it more difficult to move aircraft and crews between regions, recruit experienced pilots and plan for a season that no longer has a clearly defined end point.”

Boag adds: “Meeting this demand is not only about aircraft, it is about people. Our focus is on training our crews throughout the year and ensuring close coordination between firefighters on the ground and pilots in the air.”

Avincis, which describes itself as Europe’s largest aerial emergency services operator, also runs helicopter emergency medical, search and rescue, and offshore energy transport services from more than 190 bases across ten countries, with a total fleet of around 210 aircraft and more than 2,500 personnel, overseen from its Lisbon headquarters.