Hynaero raises €117 million to support its waterbomber project
The money will be used to support the design of the Fregate F-100 amphibious firefighting aircraft, which is due to begin commercial deliveries in 2032
French aerospace firm Hynaero has raised €117 million in a combined seed and Series A funding round to support the development of its Fregate-F100 amphibious waterbomber.
The company stated that the funding would support the launch of the “concept design and preliminary design” phases of the aircraft’s development, as well as the structuring of its industrial footprint in France.
The announcement follows a number of previous milestones in the project’s development – the Fregate-F100 program previously secured letters of intent from the French Civil Security agency, as well as two private operators.
Hynaero reported that it was also in “advanced discussions” with several European and international industrial partners “to establish a cooperative ecosystem”.
The company also said that the concept design and preliminary design phases would rely on collaborations with several partners, including Airbus, Akkodis, Altitude Aerospace, Capgemini, R&R Consulting, and Zelin. They will culminate in the creation of a preliminary design review, scheduled for release in autumn 2028.
The program schedule also includes the first test flights of the Fregate F-100 in early 2031, with initial customer deliveries due by the end of 2032.
Fellow aerial firefighting specialist Conair recently delivered its 27th Dash 8-400 firefighting aircraft.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca was a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.