Cyprus has assembled its largest-ever aerial firefighting force for the 2026 fire season, deploying a combined fleet of 14 aircraft — nine planes and five helicopters — that will remain on standby from 1 April through 31 October, according to In-Cyprus.
Fleet composition and basing
The aircraft are distributed across several bases around the island. Four leased Air Tractor AT-802F firefighting planes and four Black Hawk helicopters are stationed at Paphos Air Base, while two further leased Air Tractors and a British CH-47 Chinook helicopter are based at Akrotiri Sovereign Base Areas in the south of the island.
Two Air Tractor aircraft provided by Jordan arrived on 15 April and are currently positioned at Larnaca International Airport, rounding out the fixed-wing element of the fleet. The National Guard will also operate an AW139 helicopter in an airborne coordination role during major fire incidents, acting as a command-and-control platform above the fire ground.
State-owned aircraft on the way
A significant milestone is approaching for Cyprus's long-term aerial firefighting ambitions. The country's first state-owned Air Tractor is due to arrive on 1 May 2026 and will be operated by Cypriot pilots — marking a shift away from full reliance on leased or foreign-supplied aircraft. A second state-owned Air Tractor is expected later in 2026, with a third scheduled for delivery in 2028.
These acquisitions form part of a five-year plan, approved in 2025, to build a fleet of ten state-owned firefighting planes. The Air Firefighting Unit itself was formally transferred to the National Guard's Air Force Command on 1 April 2025, reflecting a broader strategic reorganisation of Cyprus's civil defence capabilities.
EU regional centre to be inaugurated
Cyprus is also set to become the permanent home of the EU's Regional Firefighting Centre, known as CRAFS, which will be located at Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos. The centre is co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
Its establishment is due to be formally ratified on 23 and 24 April during an informal European Council Summit being held in Cyprus. President Nikos Christodoulides and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to jointly inaugurate the facility, underlining the island's growing role as a regional hub for aerial firefighting coordination in the eastern Mediterranean.
With the peak summer fire risk still months away, authorities say the early deployment of the full fleet reflects lessons drawn from previous seasons and the strategic planning undertaken since 2025.
