Nicosia: Two Cypriot firefighting aircraft that have been assisting in combating large fires in France are anticipated to return home on Saturday, contingent upon the situation not worsening, as stated by the National Civil Protection Coordinator, Chief Fire Officer, Nikos Logginos.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Logginos mentioned that the aircraft dispatched by Cyprus "have contributed to a very large extent both to suppressing the active front of the fire and to dealing with re-ignitions." He indicated that Friday appeared to be the final day of their operations, and unless conditions change dramatically, the aircraft would begin their journey back to Cyprus the following day, based on instructions from French Civil Protection.
The aircraft have been operating in southwestern France, stationed at Perpignan airport, which lies approximately 40 kilometers from the fire front. Logginos reassured that Cyprus remains fully prepared operationally, despite the deployment of these aircraft to France. He emphasized that Cyprus is on alert 24 hours a day, with eleven aircraft still in the country, in addition to those from the Bases that can engage in firefighting if necessary.
Logginos noted that the effectiveness of aerial firefighting relies not just on the number of aircraft but also on factors such as wind intensity, terrain, vegetation, temperature, and humidity. He remarked that even in countries like France and Spain, with over 100 aircraft, controlling fires can still be challenging.
Highlighting the European rescEU mechanism, Logginos explained that countries facing severe fires submit requests through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. These requests are forwarded to nations with pre-positioned aerial assets, which then determine their ability to assist. In the case of Cyprus, the mission was feasible as there were no significant active fire fronts at home.
Each mission is supported by a technical and operational team, alongside the pilots. Upon arrival in the host country, the team receives briefings from local authorities on specific conditions, integrating into the operational plan until the mission is complete and they are cleared to return.