Buffalo Airways gets contract for GNWT's new water bomber fleet
Operation and maintenance deal for five years, plus an option to extend for an extra five years
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Saturday, December 10, 2016
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Buffalo Airways has been awarded the contract to provide operation and maintenance of the GNWT's new Air Tractor 802A FireBoss amphibious water bomber fleet.
Buffalo Airways has been awarded the contract to provide operation and maintenance of the GNWT's new Air Tractor 802A FireBoss amphibious water bomber fleet. - NNSL file photo
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The GNWT signed the contract with Joe McBryan, president of Buffalo Airways, on Dec. 1. The contract is for a five-year period beginning in 2017 with an option to extend the contract for an additional five years.
"I am very pleased the successful proponent for this specialized aviation services contract is a northern company," stated Environment and Natural Resources Minister Robert C. McLeod, in a Dec. 2 news release. "It demonstrates the competitiveness of the aviation industry in the Northwest Territories for specialized aerial suppression services in support of wildland fire preparedness and operations."
No financial details of the contract were included in the news release.
Buffalo Airways was one of three companies that submitted proposals. The other bidders were Air Tindi Ltd. and Northwestern Air Lease Ltd.
The contract includes supply and operation of birddog aircraft, pilots, engineers and maintenance capacity for the FireBoss aircraft.
The fleet of eight aircraft will be in service for the 2017 wildland fire season. It will replace four GNWT-owned CL-215 skimmer aircraft.
The FireBoss is capable of working as a land-based aircraft or as an amphibious aircraft. It can skim water from water sources to continue fighting a fire without having to return to base.
The plane can load up to 3,025 litres of water in 15 seconds and be on its way back to a fire in less than 30 seconds.
In addition, the GNWT news release stated that the targeting accuracy of the FireBoss will allow firefighting resources to take a more aggressive approach to fighting wildland fires.
