Avincis, a European aerial emergency services operator, and Australia's McDermott Aviation, have signed an LOI for the acquisition of five McDermott 214ST medium-lift twin-turbine helicopters, expanding the rotary-wing capacity available for aerial firefighting and critical utility missions across Avincis' operating regions.

Already recognised as the world's largest operator of the Bell 214 series helicopters, Australian-owned McDermott Aviation is now preparing to position itself as the manufacturer and global supplier of the 214ST platform, supported by its ownership of the aircraft's type certificate. The move represents a significant evolution for the Queensland-headquartered aviation company, which has spent decades operating, maintaining and engineering the aircraft in demanding environments including aerial firefighting, heavy-lift logistics and disaster response operations.

Avincis' investment comes as demand for aerial firefighting capacity continues to rise. By 31 July 2026, the operator had completed more than 12,600 firefighting flight hours and nearly 5,400 missions across Spain, Portugal and Italy, almost 90 per cent more flight hours than at the same point in 2025, while dropping more than 225 million litres of water. The aircraft will be deployed across Avincis' operations to support wildfire and utility operations, with their allocation determined by operational requirements and seasonal wildfire demand across the group's operating regions.

The five aircraft will add a high-capacity and versatile platform to Avincis' integrated fleet of helicopters and amphibious water bombers. Depending on mission configuration and operating conditions, the 214ST offers up to 3,000 kg of useful load, a maximum external hook load of 3,582 kg, endurance of up to 4.1 hours and a cruise speed of 120 kts. Its twin CT7-2A engines, large cabin and hot-and-high performance make it well suited to water-dropping, the transport of crews and equipment, external-load operations and missions from remote or confined locations.

The LOI further strengthens the relationship between the two organisations, combining McDermott Aviation's expertise in developing and supporting specialised medium-lift aircraft with Avincis' extensive operational network across its global regions of operation.

John Boag, group CEO of Avincis, says: “As demand for aerial firefighting and utility operations continues to grow, investing in versatile medium-lift aircraft is essential to ensuring we can support our customers wherever they need us most.

“The McDermott 214ST is a highly respected platform, and these aircraft will strengthen our ability to deploy resources across our operations in response to changing operational requirements and wildfire conditions. We look forward to continuing our relationship with McDermott Aviation as we invest in the future of aerial emergency services.

“These five aircraft give Avincis another powerful option within our integrated fleet. The 214ST's lift, endurance and hot-and-high performance will strengthen our rotary-wing response, while its utility capability will allow us to deploy the aircraft across a wider range of critical missions throughout the year.

“We are not simply adding aircraft. We are giving our customers and the emergency services directing operations on the ground more options when conditions escalate.”

John McDermott, founder and president of McDermott Aviation, adds: “The agreement represented an important milestone for the McDermott 214ST programme and reflected growing international demand for capable, mission-ready aircraft. We've believed in the capability of the 214ST for a long time. An agreement for five aircraft is a significant step forward for the programme and reinforces the role we believe this aircraft can play in firefighting and utility operations globally.

“We have spent decades operating, maintaining and engineering the 214 series in some of the toughest environments in the world. That experience gives us a very clear understanding of what the aircraft is capable of and what operators need from it. As the type certificate holder for the 214ST, we are committed to the long-term future of the platform. We're looking forward to continuing to work with Avincis and seeing these aircraft supporting critical operations across its network.”

McDermott Aviation owns the type certificates for both the Bell 214B and 214ST series and is preparing to commence production of its modified Utility 214ST model. The programme builds on more than four decades of operational, engineering and maintenance experience with the 214 series.

As the largest provider of emergency aerial services in Europe, with additional operations in Africa and South America, Avincis' areas of focus are helicopter emergency medical services, air ambulance, search and rescue, aerial firefighting, as well as dedicated aerial transport and medevac for offshore energy. Operating from more than 180 bases across Chile, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Mozambique, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, the company oversees operations from its headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal. With a fleet of approximately 210 aircraft, comprising around 170 helicopters and approximately 40 aircraft, Avincis counts on a team of more than 2,400 talented professionals, including experienced pilots, crews, technicians and support teams to deliver its unique service. With more than six decades of experience in the sector, Avincis has been instrumental in saving lives and protecting communities in some of the most challenging and remote environments on Earth.