Greece signs contract to secure 8 Airbus H215 helicopters to fight wildfires

Airbus Helicopters announced that it has signed a contract with the Hellenic Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection for the purchase of eight H215 helicopters. The helicopters will be used for firefighting missions to support the combat of forest fires in Greece.

The contract, which has an option for two additional aircraft, was signed after a tender was conducted by the Project Preparation Facility of Growthfund (the National Fund of Greece) on behalf of the ministry. 

Airbus said that the contract will be based on a “government owned contractor operated” (GO-CO) model for which Airbus Helicopters will be partnering with experienced H215 firefighting operators, Airtelis and SAF Hélicoptères, for the technical and operational support.

Greece orders eight Airbus H215 helicopters to combat forest firesRead the press release: https://t.co/eMl4zKCQ3v pic.twitter.com/f7Es9FfoJQ— Airbus Newsroom (@AirbusPRESS) April 30, 2025 “Wildfires have burned on average three to five million square kilometers globally in recent years with significant environmental consequences. It is an honor to have been selected to support the combat, with our H215 helicopters, that Greek communities face every year,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. 

“The H215 is used around the world for firefighting missions with its ability to drop more than four tons of water at a time. Relying on experienced operators, such as Airtelis and SAF Aerogroup, is exactly what the French Securité Civile does. Airbus Helicopters has been a long-standing provider of helicopters for essential missions in the country and together with our GO-CO partners, we are sure that the H215 will be a vital and reliable asset,” Even added.

According to EcoHubMap, an online platform dedicated to sustainability, although fire has been a natural part of Mediterranean ecosystems for thousands of years, forest fires have become a serious environmental and social problem in Greece, especially in recent decades. In 2023, 1,150 fire alerts were recorded in Greece.The Airbus H215 is a four-bladed, twin-engined, medium-sized, utility helicopter developed and initially produced by French aerospace company Aérospatiale. The helicopter was formerly known as Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma. 

The multi-role version of the H215 has a large reconfigurable cabin, a wide range of equipment options, a night vision goggle-compatible cockpit and all-weather capability that includes a full de-icing system. It covers the full spectrum of public service missions including search and recovery, medevac, law enforcement, passenger transport, firefighting, and disaster relief.

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