On February 17, 2026, the Government of Alberta finalized a $400 million contract to purchase five new DHC-515 water-bombing planes to bolster provincial wildfire response. These aircraft will be built by De Havilland Canada at its new De Havilland Field manufacturing facility in Wheatland County. The investment is intended to modernize the provincial firefighting fleet and better protect communities and critical infrastructure across the province.
The new fleet is expected to increase the province’s provincial water-bombing capacity by approximately 60 percent. While the Edmonton International Airport in Leduc County serves as a major logistics hub and home to the Alberta Wildfire Coordination Centre, the addition of these new assets is expected to strengthen response times for fires throughout central and northern Alberta. Having these modern planes in the provincial fleet helps crews reach fires faster when they threaten populated areas and the capital region.
The purchase is also expected to support the aviation sector and create jobs for maintenance and ground support workers in the province. Specialized aviation companies like Air Spray (1967) Ltd., which is headquartered in Edmonton and operates a major maintenance facility in Red Deer, are integral to the province’s aerial firefighting infrastructure. These provincially owned planes will eventually reduce the government’s reliance on hiring private aircraft during peak fire seasons.
The five new DHC-515 planes are expected to arrive in Alberta starting in 2031. These specialized amphibious aircraft are designed to scoop water directly from lakes to drop on active fires. This long-term modernization plan aims to make Alberta communities safer as wildfire seasons become increasingly severe and difficult to predict.
