De Havilland Struggles to Fill 22 Europe Water-Bomber Orders as Deliveries Slip to 2028
Updated
Updated · CBC Sports · Aug 8
De Havilland Struggles to Fill 22 Europe Water-Bomber Orders as Deliveries Slip to 2028
1 articles · Updated · CBC Sports · Aug 8
Summary
European governments have ordered 22 Canadair 515 water bombers since 2022, but De Havilland says the first newly built aircraft will not reach customers until 2028, with part of France's order delayed to 2032.
Nearly a decade of dormant production left the company rebuilding a vanished supply chain for roughly 50,000 parts per aircraft, while each hand-built plane is customized and costly to produce.
France's wildfire season has sharpened the pressure: it has 12 Canadairs, only seven were flying at the peak of the recent crisis, and heavy use is increasing maintenance strain on its aging fleet.
De Havilland says it wants firm orders rather than subsidies and would consider another plant if Canadian governments bought 50 planes, but critics argue waiting risks ceding the market.
That risk is growing as longer fire seasons lift demand across Europe and rivals including Positive Aviation, Kepplair and France's retrofitted A400M push into the firefighting-aircraft market.