NAC acquires SkyConnect stake to expand Black Hawk firefighting fleet

National Airways Corporation (NAC) has acquired an undisclosed stake in Prague-based helicopter leasing company SkyConnect Leasing as part of its strategy to diversify into special missions aviation.

The Dublin-registered lessor has developed a dedicated Black Hawk leasing platform focused exclusively on aerial firefighting and mission response. For the 2026 European fire season, SkyConnect will deploy eight Sikorsky UH-60 variant Black Hawk helicopters across southern and central Europe under multi-year operator contracts.

According to SkyConnect, the business is “not a generic financing program adapted to firefighting... It is a structured leasing framework built around the operational intensity, seasonal utilisation cycles, and government-backed contract structures that define wildfire suppression operations.”

Johannesburg-based NAC said the investment will help “future-proof itself through diversification”. While the value and size of the shareholding have not been disclosed, the acquisition expands the group’s presence in helicopter operating leases, specialised public-sector aviation and mission-critical services.