De Havilland Canada presented EU Commissioner Janez Lenarčič with a rescEU branded model aircraft, as well as other model De Havilland Canada aircraft, to the assembled EU Member States representatives to mark the occasion and signify the close of the contract negotiation process.
As part of the event, De Havilland Canada announced that the name of the DHC-515 Firefighter would be changing to reflect the history and overwhelming sentiment for the name "Canadair" in Europe.
"When people are close to a wildfire in Europe, they ask when the Canadairs will come to help protect their community," said De Havilland Canada CEO, Brian Chafe. "Today, we are recognizing the history of service of the Canadair fleet by renaming the aircraft the 'De Havilland Canadair 515.'"
To celebrate the event, De Havilland Canada has released a video outlining the current state of production of the aircraft, as well as an image of a re-branded De Havilland Canadair 515 in rescEU livery.
"For our company, today is a big day as it marks the end of discussion and the commencement of production moving into high gear," said Chafe. "But the real work is just beginning. European countries have placed their trust in De Havilland Canada, and it is up to all of us to deliver the aircraft to them on time."
With more than 5,000 aircraft delivered, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (De Havilland Canada) is well established across the globe and our talented team of aviation professionals is dedicated to advancing our near-100-year reputation for excellence in innovation, production, and customer support. Our aircraft operate reliably in some of the world's harshest climates and provide vital connections between rural communities and urban centres – transporting essential cargo and millions of passengers annually. Our aircraft also support a wide variety of special mission operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance, and coastal surveillance.
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