The two firefighting planes sent to assist French authorities in tackling major wildfires have arrived in Sardinia after delays at airport stops and are expected to depart for France on Wednesday at 9am.
Fire Service Chief and Coordinator for Major Wildfires Nikos Logginos told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that the two aircraft are continuing their journey after being dispatched by the Republic of Cyprus following a request from Paris through the European Civil Protection Mechanism.
The mission involves two Air Tractor firefighting aircraft.
Aircraft travelling to Perpignan
The two planes, Forest 3 and Forest 4, departed Cyprus at 6:30am on Monday with two pilots, an observer and an engineer on board, heading towards Perpignan, France.
The eight-member support team that travelled separately on a commercial flight has already arrived in France. Logginos said the team will meet with French Civil Protection authorities on Wednesday and may begin operations depending on the conditions on the ground.
Cyprus contribution through rescEU
The two aircraft are leased to the Republic of Cyprus by the European Union through the rescEU reserve and are normally stationed in Cyprus.
Through the European Civil Protection Mechanism, EU member states provide rapid assistance to countries facing major emergencies.
The European Commission said Cyprus was among the countries that responded immediately to the European request for support in fighting large-scale forest fires by sending two firefighting aircraft to France.
European support activated for France and Portugal
The European Commission activated support through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism after multiple wildfires affected France and Portugal, destroying thousands of hectares of land.
France activated the mechanism on 5 July, leading to the deployment of four rescEU firefighting aircraft from Sweden and Cyprus.
Portugal activated the mechanism on 3 July, receiving assistance from Spain, including 118 firefighters, 45 vehicles and three rescEU firefighting aircraft from Italy and Spain.
Largest preventive deployment so far
The European Commission said it has carried out its largest preventive deployment of firefighting resources to date during this year’s wildfire season.
A total of 777 firefighters from 14 European countries are already deployed or preparing to deploy to high-risk areas in Cyprus, Greece, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.
The rescEU fleet currently has 22 firefighting aircraft and five helicopters available to support member states affected by major fires.
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said the mechanism was providing immediate support as France and Portugal faced extreme fire risks during a heatwave.
Also read: Wildfires rage in Portugal, Greece, France and Spain
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