Luxembourg is sending a firefighting plane to the Gironde region in south-west France, where emergency services have been battling major wildfires in recent days. This deployment, carried out under the European Union's civil protection mechanism, is a demonstration of cross-border solidarity, Prime Minister Luc Frieden told RTL in an interview.
The PM stresses the need to support the Grand Duchy's neighbours in an emergency. The aircraft is supplied by Aquarius Aerial Firefighting, a subsidiary of Cargolux, and was expected to arrive on Wednesday evening.
It is scheduled to begin operations on Thursday.
In addition to the aerial support, a team of 15 firefighters from the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) will travel on Thursday to the affected area, joining a unit from France's Moselle department. They are expected to support French crews for at least one week.
Luxembourg's ability to fight wildfires from the air has historically been limited, as the country does not maintain a permanent fleet of firefighting aircraft. The majority of planes operated by Aquarius Aerial Firefighting are currently under contract with the Turkish government and are already engaged in firefighting missions abroad.
The aircraft being sent to France is a new addition to the fleet, not yet under any contract. The Luxembourg government has temporarily leased it from the Cargolux subsidiary for approximately €300,000.
According to Prime Minister Frieden, until now there was no need for Luxembourg to permanently station a firefighting plane in the country. However, in light of the increasing threat of wildfires, he believes the Grand Duchy must reconsider its preparedness in the coming years.
Frieden has therefore tasked Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden with working alongside the CGDIS to explore future options for improving Luxembourg's response capacity.
Firefighters in Gironde continue to battle the flames under challenging conditions, with drought and strong winds raising the risk of the fires spreading or reigniting in some areas.
