Aerial Firefighting Market is expected to reach US$ 1,657.47 million by 2031

Rise in Awareness and Government Initiatives toward Forest Conservation from Fire Bolsters Aerial Firefighting Market Growth

According to our latest study on "Aerial Firefighting Market — Global Analysis — by End Use and Aircraft Type," the market was valued at US$ 1,043.22 million in 2023 and is expected to reach US$ 1,657.47 million by 2031; it is anticipated to record a CAGR of 6.0% from 2023 to 2031. Apart from growth drivers, the report covers the aerial firefighting market trends and their foreseeable impact during the forecast period.

Aerial firefighting focuses on fire suppression as well as emphasizes the importance of forest protection. By proactively managing forests and ensuring their overall health, aerial firefighting service providers can prevent the rapid spread of wildfires and reduce their intensity. Aerial photography can identify areas at risk of fire outbreaks. These assessments enable proactive measures to reduce fuel loads and create fire-resilient landscapes. Qualified pilots play a critical role in effectively managing forests and minimizing the impact of wildfires on natural habitats and surrounding communities. By using firefighting techniques and harnessing the power of aerial firefighting, aerial firefighting service providers can protect our forests and communities from the devastating effects of wildfires.

Aerial Firefighting Market Share — by Region, 2023

Source: The Insight Partners Analysis

Governments of various countries across the globe are playing a key role in investment or funding toward forest preservation from wildfires. For instance, the European Council extended the utilization of funding for firefighting planes and helicopters in November 2023. This will allow EU member states to avail benefit from the European Union financing for leasing aerial firefighting solutions. In addition, in January 2024, the acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior in the US declared to dedicate US$ 138 million to combating forest fires and mitigation. This funding will reduce extreme wildfires, rehabilitate areas affected by wildfires, and advance fire science. Thus, a rise in awareness and government initiatives toward forest conservation from fire boosts the aerial firefighting market growth. ​

The scope of the aerial firefighting market report includes North America (US, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (Spain, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (South Korea, China, India, Japan, Australia, and Rest of Asia Pacific), and Rest of the World. In terms of revenue, North America accounted for the largest aerial firefighting market share in 2023. Europe is the second-largest contributor to the global aerial firefighting market, followed by APAC. Europe accounted for a 30.8% share of the market in 2023 and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. Various countries such as Italy, the UK, Spain, and Germany held the majority share in Europe owing to the increasing number of wildfires, government initiatives toward forest preservation, and the presence of key players in the countries. According to the data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 2022 was the second worst season of forest fires in the European Union since 2000. As observed in 45 countries by the European Union, 16,941 wildfire instances affected 1,624,381 hectares of land in 2022.

Spain, Romania, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and France were among the top countries that were mostly affected by forest fires in Europe. After experiencing the worst fire in 2022, the European Council agreed to guarantee financing for aerial firefighting solutions such as airplanes and helicopters for supporting member states in combating forest fires. For instance, after wildfires burned across Rhodes Island in Greece, the European Union invested in the purchase of 12 new firefighting aircraft. Such initiatives and strategies to promote aerial firefighting solutions are expected to fuel the growth of the aerial firefighting market in Europe in the coming years.

As per the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), most forest fires are created by people, and only a small fraction (~1.7%) is caused by natural phenomena such as lighting. As per the BMEL statistics, ~36% of burned land was set on fire on purpose in 2022. As per the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), 2022 was the worst year for Germany, as the number of fires reached 32, burning an area of 4,293 hectares. Such a rise in forest fires in the country propels the demand for aerial firefighting solutions, which contributes to the growing aerial firefighting market size.

Germany currently uses only helicopters to fight forest fires. For this purpose, they are equipped with external water tanks of different sizes. Smaller helicopters such as the Airbus Helicopters H135 transport nearly 500 liters, while larger models such as the Federal Police's Airbus Super Puma and the Bundeswehr's Sikorsky CH-53 have capacities of ~2,000 liters and ~5,000 liters, respectively. Helicopters are used for dropping water with precision and transporting equipment and crew over any terrain. Since the German fire departments do not have their aircraft, they need to contact the police or military forces in case of forest fire emergencies.

The aerial firefighting market analysis is based on end use, aircraft type, and geography. Based on aircraft type, the aerial firefighting market is segmented into forest fighting, urban fighting, and others. Airplanes and helicopters play a major role in managing and fighting wildfires and are often used in high-risk, low-altitude environments. These aircraft are used to deliver equipment and supplies, deploy and transport firefighters, conduct intelligence, surveillance, and direct operations, and deliver fire retardants or water for end uses such as forest wildfires and urban firefighting. In the past decade, there has been an increase in the size, frequency, and severity of wildfires in the US, owing to the accumulation of flammable vegetation, loss of snowpack, and human development at the wildland-urban interface. The rise in temperature and increase in wildfires in the country is expected to increase the demand for aerial firefighting from 2023 to 2031. Furthermore, the forest firefighting segment is anticipated to hold a significant market share during the forecast period.

Forest or wildfire instances are increasing with the rise in temperature across the globe owing to the climate change experienced in the last decade. Climate change resulted in warmer and drier weather conditions, which led to drought occurrences and longer fire seasons in 2023. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, it is projected that an average annual temperature rising of 1°C can trigger a 600% increase in the mean area burned every year in some forests. This increased wildfire risk, which will result in at least 30% increase in burned areas by 2060, as warmer and drier conditions cause wildfires to spread more quickly and make it difficult to stop them. According to Science X, in 2023, forest fires destroyed approximately 988 million acres of land across the globe, with ~6.5 billion metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions. Thus, the rise in wildfire risk is expected to boost the growth of the aerial firefighting market size.

Coulson Aviation, Conair Fire Aviation, Neptune Aviation, 10 Tanker Air Carrier, Erickson Aero Tanker, Billings Flying Services, Dauntless Air Inc., Avincis, Kishugu Aviation, and Babcock International Plc are among the key players profiled in the aerial firefighting market report. The companies implement both organic (such as product launches, expansion, and product approvals) and inorganic (such as collaborations and partnerships) strategies to stay competitive in the market.

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