Federal Government Adds New Aircraft to National Wildfire Response Fleet

The federal government announced that 10 new wildfire-fighting aircraft and two firefighting support assets will be available beginning with the 2026 wildfire season to help strengthen Canada’s national response capacity.

Under contracts established by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, provincial and territorial wildfire agencies will now be able to request access to four aerial firefighting air tankers, one birddog aircraft, five heavy-lift helicopters, and two support assets during periods of heightened wildfire activity.

The new equipment is intended to improve aerial firefighting surge capacity across the country and provide provinces and territories with greater access to specialized aircraft during major wildfire events.

The federal government committed $316.7 million over five years through Budget 2025 to establish the new national aerial firefighting surge capacity initiative.

The aircraft and support assets were secured through contracts with Conair Group Inc., Coldstream Helicopters and VIH Helicopters.

According to the government, the additional resources represent the first nationally managed aerial firefighting assets in Canada and are aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness and wildfire response efforts nationwide.

Officials also noted that emergency management in Canada is a shared responsibility involving federal, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and non-governmental organizations.