A specialist aerial firefighting organisation says ongoing certification delays are preventing four Transall C-160 fixed-wing tankers from being deployed in Australia, despite the aircraft completing comprehensive flight evaluations.
However, CASA has pushed back strongly, revealing the aircraft have never been approved for civil operations anywhere in the world and that the company did not engage with the regulator before purchasing them.
Transall Tankers Founder John McDermott said one aircraft was fully prepared and ready for deployment, with a second in the final stages of modification, but federal government sign-off on certification remained outstanding nearly 12 months after the program was announced.
"The capability is ready now," Mr McDermott said. "Significant private investment has already been made, the aircraft have been extensively evaluated, and they should already be supporting firefighting operations."
The company has invested heavily in the program, including the development of a world-first fixed-wing firefighting tank system in partnership with Queensland-based Helitak Firefighting Equipment, engineered specifically for Australian firefighting conditions.
McDermott said the delays were also forcing the company to seek approvals in overseas jurisdictions while Australian certification remained outstanding, adding significant costs to the program.
"We are now incurring significant costs to secure overseas approvals because the aircraft are still not certified here in Australia," he said. "But beyond the commercial impact, the bigger issue is that these aircraft are unavailable to support firefighting operations despite being fully prepared and evaluated."
CASA, however, has offered a markedly different account of the situation.
"CASA does not compromise safety in response to the commercial decisions of operators," a spokesperson told Australian Flying. "McDermott Aviation did not engage with CASA before purchasing ex-military aircraft which are more than 50 years old and not approved for firefighting anywhere in the world."
CASA confirmed it has not been involved in any flight evaluations to date, and that Transall Tankers submitted a certification plan only last month. By the company's own estimates, the earliest the aircraft could be certified is the end of 2027.
The regulator also explained that certifying the C-160 requires amendments to existing regulations, which are currently subject to public consultation. CASA said it is working in parallel with McDermott Aviation on the engineering assessment required to determine whether the aircraft meets the necessary civil aviation standards.
The challenge, CASA noted, is significant. Military aircraft are not designed to recognise civil aviation safety standards, but rather to the specific contractual requirements of individual military purchase orders, which may prioritise capability over safety. The age and condition of the aircraft after years of military service adds further complexity to the certification process.
CASA also disputed the suggestion that Australia faces a firefighting capability gap, noting that the country has access to more than 500 aircraft from over 150 operators for aerial firefighting.
Transall Tankers said it remained committed to completing the certification process and was continuing to work closely with relevant agencies to finalise approvals.