The Canadian government recently announced that it will lease a fleet of 10 firefighting aircraft and other support assets to be deployed for the 2026 wildfire season. The plan will see these 10 leased aircraft being managed by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre deployed strategically across the country and made available to provinces as they face intense wildfires.
The new aircraft include four firefighting air tankers, one birddog plane and five heavy lift helicopters, with operating crew and maintenance support to be provided by the leasing companies.
