Wildfires sweeping through France and Spain have heightened scrutiny over the limited number and aging condition of amphibious Canadair aircraft used for firefighting, exposing broader challenges in Europe’s capacity to respond to increasingly severe climate-related disasters.

In the Gironde region of France, where a large wildfire has been active for nearly a week, opposition figures sharply criticized President Emmanuel Macron’s government for the insufficient number of operational Canadairs. Similarly, Spain’s opposition highlighted the vulnerability of the entire water-bombing fleet amid the ongoing fires. Canadair planes, costing approximately €50 million each, are uniquely capable of scooping water directly from natural sources such as lakes or the sea, enabling faster turnaround times than other aerial firefighting options.

Both France and Spain operate aging Canadair fleets, a situation that reflects a pause in production from 2015 until recent years. France currently maintains 12 Canadairs, of which only seven are deployable due to maintenance issues. Spain has 14 Canadairs, with the oldest acquired in 1987 and the newest in 2013, and eight are operational. The European Union has also ordered 12 such planes to create a coordinated continental fleet, but these deliveries are not expected to begin before 2028.

The EU has deployed five Canadairs to assist with the fires—four to Spain and one to France—from a shared fleet of 14 aircraft leased from member states and strategically positioned across Europe. In Gironde, roughly 42,000 hectares have burned, an area four times the size of Paris, and thousands of firefighters are actively engaged alongside aircraft supported by European partners. France is also trialing retrofitted Airbus A400M transport planes for water and retardant drops.

The slow pace of fleet renewal partly stems from the manufacturing history of the Canadairs. Bombardier, the original maker, halted production in 2015 due to low demand. The license was later acquired by Canadian firm De Havilland, which restarted production in 2022 after new European orders but has yet to deliver any planes, with first deliveries anticipated around 2028. Both France and Spain have placed new orders: France committed to replacing its fleet and adding four additional aircraft by 2027, while Spain has ordered seven new planes. However, officials acknowledge the complexity and scarcity of procuring these specialized aircraft.

Interior ministry officials from both countries defended their efforts, attributing delays to manufacturing constraints rather than government inaction. Julien Marion, director of France’s civil security agency, underscored that acquiring Canadairs involves lengthy procedures and cannot be expedited easily. Spain’s Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska echoed concerns about market supply challenges.

EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib emphasized the need to invest broadly in civil protection, including forest management and risk mitigation, alongside expanding aerial firefighting capabilities. She noted that while Canadairs are crucial for southern Europe’s fire-prone regions due to their ability to draw water from the sea, other firefighting methods, such as helicopters refilling from smaller water bodies, play a larger role in northern and central Europe.

Experts stressed that ground firefighting efforts remain the cornerstone of wildfire response and warned against evaluating effectiveness solely based on the number of Canadair planes available. As extreme weather events become more frequent, the ongoing wildfires in France and Spain highlight the urgency for Europe to modernize and expand its firefighting resources while adapting strategies to evolving climatic threats.