The Government tries to prevent the contest is deserted again for the hiring of aerial means for fighting fires forestry and this Tuesday approved the processing of a contract for three seasons –2025, 2026 and 2026– which represents an increase of more than 27.6 million what it was willing to pay last year to companies that own planes and helicopters capable of transporting water and firefighters against fires. Specifically, it offers 187.6 million for a 30-month contract to hire 42 aircraftthree less than the contract that was unsuccessfully tendered last year.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition thus improves the offer that, also for 30 months, between 2024 and 2026, it launched last year to companies in the sector. So, offered 160.9 million to hire 45 aircraft. The tender that has been given the green light is now to hire 26 transport helicopters of brigades and water throwing, a bomber helicopter light heavyweight, four light helicopters, five amphibious aircraft medium capacity and six cargo planes ashore.
These troops are the contingent of support for autonomous communities by the department headed by the third vice president, Sara Aagesenwith external means – the 42 aircraft that belong to different companies in a sector that in Spain is a world leader – that join the central government’s own means in the fight against forest fires, 14 Canadair amphibious aircraft with water discharge capacity of 5,500 liters per aircraft. They are owned by the Ministry of Defense but the Ecological Transition manages them for firefighting tasks.
The economic offer to which the Council of Ministers has given the green light improves the one that the Ministry launched last year to the companies that own the helicopters and airplanes to, as on this occasion, close a contract agreement. 30 months duration. This year, it offers 27.6 million more to close a tender that Last year it was practically deserted because only one company came for a lot consisting of two airplanes. At the moment, there have been no reactions to this new offer from the sector.
The owners of the aircraft did not participate in a contest that they denounced started from an insufficient economic offerjust at a time when They are especially competitive in the global market. Climate change is making fires more and more frequent in countries where they did not occur – such as Norway – or, as in Spain, more virulent, in others such as Turkey or Greece, in a market in which their governments are willing to offer better economic conditions and in which Spanish companies are especially appreciated.
After last year’s tender was deserted, the then third vice president, Teresa Ribera, He did not resume contacts with the companies until the beginning of summer, when with just a few weeks left before the fire season officially began, he began calling them to close emergency contracts, more expensive and with a duration only four monthsuntil the end of October. Thanks to them, Ecological Transition was able to count on 26 helicopters and 12 airplanes, six less than those it had tendered at the beginning of the year, for a summer in which, fortunately, not as many fires were declared as in previous years.
After signing this agreement of just four months, the sector expected that the Ministry resume the process to sign multi-year contractslike this 30-month one that will be launched after obtaining the approval of the Council of Ministers, for 187.6 million.