| Sourced from 2 independent sources · no points in dispute |
Head Topics and CBC
Every key fact in this report is confirmed by more than one independent source.
8 key facts · 8 corroborated · none disputed
This summary is compiled from the independent sources listed above.
Severe wildfire seasons across Canada, the United States and Europe have turned the Canadair Super Scooper into one of the most sought-after firefighting aircraft in the world.
De Havilland, which manufactures the water bombers, is now facing pressure to move faster. The company revived the Canadair production line in 2022 after acquiring the program from Bombardier, but the first two aircraft from that revived line are not scheduled for delivery until early 2028.
Demand is racing ahead
The pressure is coming from governments trying to respond to increasingly difficult wildfire seasons with limited firefighting fleets.
Canadian premiers and European leaders are calling for more Super Scooper aircraft amid shortages and aging fleets. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew captured the urgency in June 2025 when he said, “We could use every water bomber we can get our hands on.”
De Havilland has acknowledged the strain.
“We are under pressure. We know that this is a very important aircraft not only for Canada but for the world. We take our responsibility to our customers and the people they serve very seriously,” Neil Sweeney, the company’s vice-president of corporate affairs, told CBC.
That demand is already outstripping supply. Delivery timelines for orders now extend into the early 2030s, meaning governments seeking aircraft today face a long wait before new planes can enter service.
Production line slowly returns
The Super Scooper’s comeback has been years in the making. De Havilland revived the Canadair production line in 2022 after acquiring the program from Bombardier.
The company is now building the first two aircraft from that revived line, with delivery scheduled for early 2028. Those planes are the first concrete result of the restarted program, but the pace is not enough to satisfy current demand.
The shortage has turned what might normally be a manufacturing story into a political one. Premiers in Canada and leaders in Europe are pushing for more aircraft as wildfire seasons continue to stretch emergency capacity.
Ottawa order could change capacity
De Havilland says a large federal order would give it the certainty needed to build a second production line.
Sweeney put the ask bluntly in comments reported by CBC: “We told the Canadian government that if they made an order of 50 aircraft,” then “we would build a second line tomorrow.”
A second production line would double De Havilland’s annual water bomber output from about 10 aircraft to about 20. For governments facing delivery timelines into the early 2030s, that added capacity could be the difference between waiting years for replacements and beginning to rebuild fleets sooner.
The call for a bulk federal order also reflects a broader concern: if Canada and its partners want more Super Scoopers, the manufacturer says it needs enough long-term certainty to expand.
More planes, but not a cure-all
The push for more Super Scoopers comes with a note of caution from wildfire officials. Aircraft can be critical in slowing fires and supporting crews, but they are not a complete answer to the wildfire threat.
“Planes don’t put out fires, firefighters put out fires,” Alexandria Jones told CBC. “They’re not the silver bullet to firefighting.”
Still, the political and operational demand for the aircraft is clear. Severe wildfire seasons in Canada, the United States and Europe have created intense competition for a limited number of water bombers, and De Havilland’s revived production line is only beginning to deliver.
For now, the question is whether governments will place the kind of large order De Havilland says it needs to expand production, or whether fleets will keep waiting into the next decade for aircraft already in short supply.
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