Leaders from the European Commission, Government of Canada, EU Member States and De Havilland Aircraft of Canada have concluded contract negotiations for 22 new waterbomber currently in production at De Havilland Canada’s facilities.

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. Today, we are recognizing the history of service of the Canadair fleet by renaming the aircraft the ‘De Havilland Canadair 515. For our company, today is a big day as it marks the end of discussion and the commencement of production moving into high gear. 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.” said De Havilland Canada CEO, Brian Chafe.