Avincis deploys leased Super Scoopers to bolster Portugal wildfire response

European emergency aviation provider Avincis has deployed two CL-215T Super Scooper amphibious firefighting aircraft leased from US aerial firefighting company Bridger Aerospace to support wildfire suppression operations in Portugal.

The aircraft are operating under contract through mid-October 2026, marking Bridger’s first revenue-generating deployment in Europe. Avincis is operating the aircraft and crews as part of its response capability during one of Europe’s most demanding wildfire seasons in recent years.

The additional aircraft are intended to provide operational resilience as wildfire activity increases across Southern Europe, with longer and more severe fire seasons placing pressure on available specialized aviation assets.

John Boag, Group CEO of Avincis, said: “Europe is facing a new reality where wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent, and increasingly unpredictable… This agreement with Bridger strengthens our ability to respond to that demand by adding proven firefighting aircraft to our fleet at a critical time.”

Bridger President and CEO Sam Davis said: “Wildfires do not recognize borders, and neither should the capabilities needed to fight them… Whether a fire is burning in the forests of Montana or the hillsides of Portugal, our mission is the same: get our Scoopers to the fire as fast as possible and give the people on the ground every advantage.”

The agreement expands cooperation between the two companies as demand grows for aerial firefighting capacity worldwide.