18 May 2026: Nearly 12 months after announcing plans to introduce the Transall C-160 fixed-wing firefighting aircraft into Australia, specialist aerial firefighting organisation Transall Tankers says ongoing certification delays are preventing the aircraft from being deployed despite comprehensive flight evaluations having now been successfully completed.
The aircraft have undergone rigorous evaluations and inspections over the past year and were developed specifically to strengthen firefighting capability in rugged and remote areas across Australia and internationally.
Transall Tankers Founder John McDermott said the delays were not only costing the company significant money, but more importantly, preventing critical firefighting capability from being utilised ahead of future fire seasons.
“We set out to build a capability specifically designed for the realities of modern firefighting in remote and regional environments, and the evaluations have proven these aircraft can deliver exactly that,” Mr McDermott said.
“The disappointing part is that the capability is ready now. Significant private investment has already been made, the aircraft have been extensively evaluated, and they should already be supporting firefighting operations.
“We currently have four C-160 aircraft in our fleet, with one aircraft fully prepared and ready for deployment and another in the final stages of modification for firefighting operations.”
Transall Tankers has invested heavily in the program, including the development of a world-first fixed-wing firefighting tank system in partnership with Queensland-based Helitak Firefighting Equipment.
Designed specifically for the Transall C-160 platform, the Helitak FT Series tank enables rapid-fill, high-volume delivery of water and retardant and has been engineered specifically for Australian firefighting conditions.
The company has conducted flight evaluations to support and confirm the safety aspects and capabilities of the fire suppression system, including grid pattern analysis to establish ground coverage levels.
Mr McDermott said the delays were also creating challenges, with the company now required to seek approvals and certifications in overseas jurisdictions in order to operate the aircraft internationally while Australian certification remains outstanding.
“We are now incurring significant costs to secure overseas approvals because the aircraft are still not certified here in Australia,” he said.
“But beyond the commercial impact, the bigger issue is that these aircraft are unavailable to support firefighting operations despite being fully prepared and evaluated.
“With increasingly severe fire seasons, Australia cannot afford to have proven firefighting capability sitting idle.”
The Transall C-160 aircraft were selected for their ability to operate in rugged terrain and access regional and remote airstrips unsuitable for larger fixed-wing firefighting aircraft.
Unlike larger aircraft that must return to major bases to reload, the Transall system is designed to refill rapidly in regional locations where water sources are available, allowing aircraft to return to operations within minutes.
Operating as a standalone specialist organisation, Transall Tankers was established specifically to develop and operate heavy fixed-wing aerial firefighting capability for Australia and selected international markets.
Mr McDermott said the company remained committed to completing the certification process and bringing the aircraft into active service.
“This represents a significant private investment into Australia’s emergency response capability,” he said.
“Our focus remains on getting these aircraft operational so they can do the job they were designed to do – protect communities.
“We look forward to receiving the remaining Federal Government sign-off required to progress certification and are continuing to work closely with the relevant agencies to ensure the aircraft are ready for deployment once approvals are finalised.”
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