Neptune Aviation Services (Missoula) has announced it will add Airbus aircraft to its fleet, with the first of the converted A319-100 airtankers expected to be operational for the 2027 wildfire season.
Its fleet is currently composed of ten BAe 146-200s, the ch-aviation fleets module shows. While it did not disclose the actual number of A319s it plans to include in its operations, it does expect to operate ten to fifteen aircraft, a mix of both types, “depending on the evolving demands of aerial firefighting,” it said.
In a statement to ch-aviation, the company said the plan is to retire a BAe 146 as it introduces a new A319. "This process will introduce one to two A319s per year," it added.
Aerotec & Concept, a French company based at Toulouse Blagnac, will be Neptune’s partner in the A319 conversion.
"The Airbus A319’s larger size and higher maximum takeoff weight allow for greater fire retardant capacity [a minimum of 4,500 gallons versus the maximum 3,000 gallons carried by the BAe 146], improving operational efficiency and enhancing the safety of our crews, firefighters on the ground, and the communities we protect," said Jennifer Draughon, president of Neptune Aviation.
When converted, Neptune’s A319 airtankers will be the first of their type globally, according to ch-aviation fleets data.
The company said it was in the process of performing the engineering work that needs to be completed for the conversion, "and then we will move on to the physical stage of converting the passenger aircraft into airtankers, at which point we will acquire the airframes, which are readily available in the market."
