With 22 new orders, Europe ensures the rescue of the Canadair

For the 55th edition of the Paris Air Show, held from June 16 to 22 at Le Bourget (Seine-Saint-Denis), smiles are the order of the day in the De Havilland chalet, the Canadian manufacturer of the famous Canadair water bombers. For Jean-Philippe Côté, vice-president of the De Havilland Canada program, "the new aircraft, the DHC 515, is launched," thanks to "22 orders received from the European Union [EU] and six member states, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Croatia." After three years of tough negotiations, two aircraft are planned for France.

Relief is clearly palpable at De Havilland Canada. Due to a lack of contracts, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer's assembly lines were at a standstill. "It's been almost ten years since a single Canadair has been sold or delivered," explains Côté.

A bygone era. The Calgary plant in Alberta is ramping up again. "The first example of the new water bomber is on the assembly line," enthuses the vice-president of the De Havilland Canada program. After the gigantic fires that ravaged thousands of hectares in the suburbs of Athens in August 2024, the new customers mutually decided that the first Canadair to roll off the assembly line in February 2028 "will be for Greece," he reveals. The second, expected "a few months later" the same year, will reinforce the aging French fleet of only twelve water bombers.

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