PRESS RELEASE

EUROPE BATTLES DEVASTATING WILDFIRES!
NOEMI AEROSPACE IS DEVELOPING THE NEW GENERATION AMPHIBIOUS FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT.

ONE PLATFORM, MULTIPLE MISSIONS.

The company is therefore inviting governments, firefighting agencies and industrial partners to participate in defining and launching the programme.

Sandefjord, Norway, July 28th 2026
As wildfires continue to devastate large parts of Southern Europe, destroying forests, homes and critical infrastructure, governments and firefighting agencies are facing growing pressure to expand aerial firefighting capacity. Existing fleets are under increasing pressure, while production of established aircraft types is effectively sold out for years to come.

Against this backdrop, Norwegian aircraft developer NOEMI Aerospace is stepping up its efforts to develop a dedicated aerial firefighting version of its amphibious aircraft platform.

Designed around the company's modular "One Platform. Multiple Missions." strategy, the aircraft would combine amphibious operations, hybrid-electric propulsion and a 4-tonnes of water or 3-tonnes of retardant payload to deliver a flexible and efficient solution for the growing global wildfire challenge.

"Climate change is increasing both the frequency and severity of wildfires, while the global firefighting fleet struggles to keep pace. We believe there is room for a new generation of versatile, efficient amphibious aircraft designed specifically for tomorrow's operational needs", says Eric Lithun, Founder &CEO, NOEMI Aerospace

A GROWING MARKET WITH LIMITED CAPACITY

Wildfires are becoming larger, more frequent and more expensive. Global economic losses now exceed hundreds of billions of dollars annually, while hundreds of millions of hectares burn worldwide every year. In a Lancet 2025 Report fine particle pollution from wildfires is estimated to contribute to more than 100,000 premature deaths annually.

Demand for aerial firefighting aircraft continues to grow, yet supply remains constrained. Existing aircraft are heavily utilised, and production capacity across the industry remains limited.

ONE PLATFORM. MULTIPLE MISSIONS.

The firefighting aircraft builds on the same platform architecture that NOEMI is developing for passenger operations. Rather than creating a completely new aircraft, NOEMI can adapt its amphibious platform for aerial firefighting using an alternative propulsion system and mission equipment.

The approach enables multiple variants from the same airframe, including passenger transport, maritime surveillance, government operations, skydiving, cargo and firefighting.

"Our strategy has always been to develop one highly capable platform that can serve multiple markets. Firefighting is one of the most attractive adjacent opportunities because it requires many of the same strengths our aircraft is already designed to deliver", states Simon Bendrey, Chief Engineer, NOEMI Aerospace

BUILT FOR RAPID WATER OPERATIONS

The proposed hybrid aircraft would carry approximately three tonnes of water or fire retardant while retaining the amphibious capability to scoop directly from lakes, fjords and suitable coastal waters or reload from conventional airfields.

Key capabilities include:

Hybrid-electric or conventional fuel propulsion
Approximately 4 tonnes of water or 32 tonnes of retardant
Ferry range of up to 2,000 nautical miles
Cruise speeds up to 190 knots depending on propulsion configuration
Ability to scoop from natural water sources or reload on land

Because aerial firefighting depends on short turnaround cycles between drops, the ability to operate from nearby water sources can significantly improve operational efficiency and number of drops per hour.

LOOKING FOR LAUNCH PARTNERS

Development of the firefighting aircraft can be undertaken in parallel with NOEMI's planned programme for the electric propulsion amphibious passenger plane, and will depend on customer demand and strategic partnerships.

The company is therefore inviting governments, firefighting agencies and industrial partners to participate in defining and launching the programme.

"Our platform is intentionally designed to evolve. With the right launch partners, we believe a firefighting variant could become an important addition to future emergency response capability and can be launched before the passenger version," says Eric Lithun.

PRESS CONTACTS
Eric Lithun, Founder & Chief Executive Officer

[email protected] | +47 901 46 429

Terje Banken, Chief Marketing Officer

[email protected] | +47 952 30 926