Avincis and De Havilland Canada have signed a deal to supply and maintain water-bombing aircraft across Europe and Morocco.
Avincis will now help maintain and repair several aircraft models, including the CL-215, CL-215T, CL-415 and the new DHC-515. The company will also design upgrades and fixes for older aircraft and help certify new improvements.
To handle the extra work, Avincis plans to build a new hangar at Albacete Airport to increase its maintenance capacity.
De Havilland said the partnership will help support aircraft operators and speed up the rollout of the new DHC-515. The company has delivered more than 5,000 aircraft and is known for firefighting, search and rescue and medical evacuation planes.
Avincis, based in Spain, has recently won several air-medical transport contracts there, including deals in Extremadura, Andalusia and Castilla y León worth tens of millions of euros.
The agreement brings Morocco into the global supply chain for these firefighting aircraft. It comes as the country upgrades its disaster response system and expands its firefighting fleet.
Morocco is the only African country using the CL-415 water-bomber. By early 2026 it had eight Canadair aircraft: five CL-415s and three upgraded CL-415EAF versions. It also operates eight smaller Turbo Thrush planes used for smaller fires in mountain areas. The country plans to buy the new DHC-515 later to replace older planes.
Until now, Morocco relied on companies in Canada and the US for major aircraft repairs. Working with a nearby partner in Spain should reduce the time planes spend grounded during the summer fire season and allow upgrades without buying entirely new aircraft.
This deal is one part of a broader strategy. Morocco now uses AI tools and US satellite data to predict wildfires and position aircraft before heatwaves.
The firefighting fleet mainly operates from air bases in Kenitra and Salé, with summer deployments to other northern airfields. Pilot training takes place in Marrakech.
Officials say this network allows firefighting aircraft to reach fires anywhere in the Atlas or Rif mountains in under 30 minutes.
