Saskatchewan to acquire four airtankers
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) will acquire a fleet of four new land-based airtankers worth a combined CA$187.06 million
The aircraft – two Dash 8-Q400ATs and two Dash 8-Q400MREs – will replace a set of four Conair 580 firefighting planes.
The conversion of the four Dash-8s into emergency response aircraft is being carried out by Conair.
The Dash 8-Q400ATs are dedicated airtankers, while the Dash 8-Q400MRE can also be reconfigured for a variety of roles, including air evacuations, patient transport, and cargo hauling.
The government of the Canadian province stated that the older aircraft being replaced will “approach the end of their useful lifespan in 2027”.
This will allow the new aircraft to be phased in – the first of the new planes is due for delivery in the summer of 2025, with the last due to arrive before the end of 2027. The new planes are expected to have a useful lifespan of 25 years.
The aircraft will be paid for via a three-year payment plan, on top of a $5.2 million deposit, and federal funding worth $16.29 million.
Saskatchewan also acquired a Canadair CL-215T last year to replace an older CL-215.