Rome (AFP) – On the sun-drenched tarmac, their gleaming yellow and red fuselage catches the eye: after a grueling summer of fighting fires in Europe, the Canadairs of the Italian fleet have returned to their main base, southeast of Rome, for a period of maintenance.

Published on: 01/10/2026 - 10:58 Modified on: 02/10/2026 - 11:57

With 18 Canadair CL-415s, Italy has the largest fleet in the world for this type of model, ahead of Spain, Greece and France. Devices deployed on three permanent bases on the peninsula, including the main one located at Ciampino airport, to which are added three temporary bases during the summer period.

But the interventions of these water bombers, particularly within the framework of the European pooling of aerial firefighting resources, are far from being confined to Italian territory.

“At the beginning of the summer, we intervened in Portugal and Spain, where we were faced with two quite difficult situations,” recalls Commander Francesco Morgante, 58, Canadair pilot for Avincis, the company which manages the Italian fleet on behalf of the firefighters.

“Subsequently, our country completely monopolized us, in particular because of the emergency situation that we experienced in the north of Italy, which this year was quite unexpected and unusual,” he continues.

Capable of loading, without landing, more than 6,000 liters of water in just 12 seconds thanks to two scoops located under its fuselage - and releasing them in 3 seconds - the Canadair is "an ideal tool" and "the most operational" in the fight against fires, according to Commander Morgante.

“It is a versatile, flexible tool, which can intervene on medium to large fires” and which “allows a fire to be contained even when it has already developed”, he adds from the narrow cockpit of one of the water bombers.

Facing the imposing yellow and red aircraft lined up near the takeoff runway, a large, just renovated hangar accommodates the aircraft undergoing inspection, including one with its two open turboprop engines.

Carried out after the peak of summer activity, these “in-depth checks” carried out on each aircraft in the fleet “last several weeks”, explains to AFP Maurizio Tomassi, 54, responsible for maintenance operations at Avincis.

“The firefighting season (...) begins in mid-June, so our goal is to complete basic maintenance activity by the end of March,” he adds. Until then, the end of operations from the permanent base in Calabria, on October 31, will officially close the summer season.

“No +weather break+”

While Western Europe has just recorded the hottest summer in its history, with some 540,000 hectares going up in smoke in the European Union from mid-June to early September, the question of the Canadair fleet available to member states is more burning than ever.

Over the years, there has been "a slow and progressive increase in the need to use this air means", underlines Francesco Morgante, who has been flying Canadairs for more than thirty years. “Having a sufficient and adapted fleet to meet our needs at national and European level” is “essential”, he judges.

For the pilot as for the technical staff or those coordinating operations, the past summer - which left no respite for the teams - will remain in the annals.

“There was not this moment when the summer storm arrives, where the temperature drops by 3–4 degrees, where it gives you a two-day break, then possibly resumes, if it should resume. This meteorological + break + did not take place,” testifies the commander.

“The summer was exceptional,” agrees Alessandro Sette, 50, responsible for the operational room, where requests for intervention from Italian civil protection arrive.

“The work started early in the morning, because the planes took off at first light, they were already “tascati” [loaded], as we say in our jargon –, and the operations generally ended at dusk, which made for long, intense days,” he recalls.

But on this calm morning at the end of September, no movement shakes the screen allowing us to follow the trajectories of the aircraft: “virtually all the planes are on the ground”, welcomes Mr. Sette.

© 2026 AFP

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