Lisbon, Aug. 14, 2025 (Lusa) - The company that operates the Canadair forest firefighting aircraft in Portugal has replaced the two heavy aircraft that were out of order with the arrival of the second aircraft on Thursday, the organisation told Lusa.

An official source from Avincis, the company responsible for these heavy aircraft operating in Portugal to fight fires, said that the second replacement Canadair aircraft landed in Castelo Branco late this morning.

"This restores the fleet of heavy firefighting aircraft in Portugal," the company said. The first replacement Canadair arrived in Portugal on Tuesday.

According to the company, the aircraft arriving today is a Canadair CL-215 with a turbine engine, identical to the one that arrived on Tuesday.

"Avincis remains committed to the safety and protection of the Portuguese population and local communities, and continues to support the authorities in fighting fires across the country," it added.

These aeroplanes will replace the two Canadair aircraft assigned to the Special Rural Fire Fighting System (DECIR) that are out of service, while a third replacement aircraft is also inoperative in case of any breakdowns.

Following these breakdowns, Portugal activated the bilateral cooperation mechanism with Morocco, which sent two replacement Canadair planes, which will be part of DECIR by the end of this week and are operating from Monte Real Air Base.

CMP/ADB // ADB.

Lusa