Babcock wins £100m Canada aerial firefighting deal

Engineer Babcock on Friday said it had won a £100m 10-year contract for aerial firefighting by the government of Manitoba, Canada.

This is the first firefighting work the group has won outside of Europe and will start in April 2019. Babcock will manage, maintain and operate Manitoba's fleet of seven firefighting fixed-wing Canadair water-bomber amphibious aircraft, supported by three Babcock Twin Commander aircraft.

Babcock already operates a fleet of 19 Canadair firefighting aircraft for the Italian Government. The Canadian operations will cover the entire province, helping to protect communities across an area twice the size of the UK, Babcock said.

The deal provides a gateway to the £1.4bn North American aerial firefighting market, including around £1.1bn in the US which is accessible to companies operating in Canada.

“It also provides a platform for the group to pursue aerial emergency medical service opportunities in Canada, which represents a further addressable market of over £300m,” Babcock said.