Filenews 10 July 2021 - byAngelos Nikolaou
Huge costs are paid every year by the Republic of Cyprus for firefighting purposes with means that do not own the equipment. This is tens of millions of euros that we would save if it were decided to buy our own firefighting equipment, given the fact that the risk of forest fires is high and when the fire escapes the damage is incalculable. €25m has been spent on the two Kamov helicopters we have been renting for over the past decade.
For the fire in Solia alone, the compensation exceeded €110 million, while the first estimates - not including the cost of reconstruction for the fire in the Larnaca and Limassol mountains last week - exceeded €20 million. It is noted that the amount paid for the compensations to Solia would have purchased three Canadair and 44 Air Tractor, as the cost of purchasing a Canadair amounts to €38 million, while the cost of an Air Tractor amounts to €2.5 million. Today the fleet of the Department of Forests has only two privately owned planes.
The cost of renting the two Kamov helicopters to the Republic of Cyprus over the last 10 years is €25 million. It is noted that under the Kamov contract the cost amounts to €1,6 million for 120 hours a semester. There are additional costs for additional use. Over the past two years, the Republic of Cyprus has been renting two Air Tractor aircraft costing €1.4 million a year. Therefore, for rental flight instruments the cost amounts to €30 million over the last 10 years.
The cost per hour of flight of helicopters is €8,800, while the helicopters available in the Republic cost €4,000 per hour. In terms of the cost of the privately owned planes of the Department of Forests it amounts to €2,600 per hour.
According to official data, the use of aerial firefighting in Solea in 2016, which burned for four days, cost the State €2.7m. It appears from official data that the cost of rental helicopters is very high in relation to the cost of privately owned aerial means and in particular helicopter and privately owned aircraft. Specifically, the cost of the two aircraft of the Department of Forests was €125,000, while the two hired Kamov helicopters €873,000. In addition, the use of the two police helicopters cost €268,000 and National Guard helicopters €135,000. The use of the two helicopters of the British Bases cost €180,000, the four planes from Israel €215,000, the planes from Greece €495,000, a plane from Italy €158,000 and three aircraft from France €255,000.
The gap in flying media was also found by the Independent Commission of Experts following the devastating fire in Solia in 2016. The report states that "to assess the existing fire prevention and extinguishing system that the quantity of volatile means available to the Republic of Cyprus is not sufficient in the event of large fires". Five years later the issue has not only been closed, but we are still paying for the absence of a policy to put the Republic of Cyprus on operational readiness by privately owned aircraft.
Establishment of a technical committee
Three years ago, in 2018 by decision of the Council of Ministers, a Technical Committee was set up to prepare a summary report on the capabilities of aerial firefighting equipment for the needs of the Republic of Cyprus in flight firefighting. The conclusions of the Technical Committee demonstrate the need to strengthen the Republic of Cyprus by aerial means of firefighting.
The above Commission took into account the specificities of Cyprus, as it points out and recommended the strengthening of the Republic of Cyprus with four small single-engine aeroplanes. As an argument, he recommended that their use in pairs when on patrol increases their effectiveness and efficiency.
The Republic of Cyprus, following the submission of these recommendations, secured in 2020 the provision of services by two more firefighting planes, while a further two are planned to be purchased. To this end, the appropriations required by the Ministry of Agriculture in the 2022 state budget for the purchase of an aeroplane have been provided for, while the purchase of the latter is foreseen through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for 2023. Furthermore, after studying the recommendations of the Police, the two BELL helicopters have been upgraded with the installation of foam systems.
Inability to make a clear decision
In the decision of the Technical Committee, however, it is clear that the members who made it up to support their choice are unable to support their choice decisively. In particular, it states that "it is difficult to draw a safe conclusion as to which option is the best and most advantageous for the state, taking into account the specificities of Cyprus, because there is no previous experience both for the cost and for the management and operation of firefighting aircraft through the process of renting, renting/buying services or BOT. The only experience we have is the rental of helicopters which cannot be used to make a decision on aeroplanes which are a completely different means of flying with completely different use and management."
To meet the above need, the Commission examined three possible options (purchase, rental market, purchase of services), which have advantages and disadvantages, mainly in relation to their economic aspect and effectiveness. The market, for example, may – as it says – be presented as the most economical option, but it is not directly applicable because it involves the employment of pilots and engineers, a process that will take at least five years. In addition, according to the Commission, the choice of buying aeroplanes in conjunction with the purchase of services for pilots and engineers cannot be applied either, due to the lack of pilots. The purchase of services, on the other hand, may not be the most economical, but it is directly applicable and presents the least problems. The choice of rental market is located somewhere in between the other two options. After assessing these three solutions, the Commission recommended, as a first step and on a pilot basis, that the lease/purchase of services for two firefighting aircraft (similar to those of the Department of Forests) be promoted for at least two years with the right to extend for a further two years. In this way, it will be clear whether such a possibility exists and if it exists it will be evaluated and compared with the other two solutions, in order to take the final decision.
