Luxembourgs Findel Airport will soon be home to specialised planes used to combat forest fires. The decision to step into aerial firefighting can be a lucrative one, as there is currently still a world-wide shortage of waterbombers.

CargoLux Airlines made the decision to purchase a dozen Air Tractor AT-802F Fire Boss planes for an estimated 72 million USD. These propeller-motored planes are single-person operated and can land on large water surfaces, for the explicit purpose of collecting water to release over wildfires.

The first two aircraft of the new Aquarius fleet were delivered to Luxembourg on 22 December 2023. One of the machines is a single seater, while the second one is a two seater Fire Boss. Both are Spanish registered.

The plan is to participate in tenders across Europe next year. Through this initiative, Cargolux aims to contribute to the fight against climate change – as forest fires release a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Upon request, Cargolux did not provide any further comment regarding their plans.

Image CargoLux Airlines