French seaplane startup Hynaero has signed a partnership with Airbus to develop the Fregate-F100, a new generation of firefighting amphibious aircraft.
Under this agreement, which was signed on February 20, 2025, and made public in mid-March 2025, Airbus Defence and Space will support Hynaero by contributing its substantial engineering and industrial capabilities to the Fregate-F100 program.
During a call with AeroTime on March 15, 2025, David Pincet, Hynaero’s co-founder, explained that the company aims to develop a European modern, highly capable, and maneuverable alternative for the aerial firefighting market.
The Fregate-F100 will be able to scoop up to 10 tons of water from water surfaces as short as 800 meters and then drop it with precision over forest fires, aided by advanced avionics and predictive trajectory management technology.
The aircraft is also fitted with a fly-by-wire control system, a state-of-the-art mission system technology which enables real time coordination between air and land firefighting units.
When it comes to the design, the Fregate-F100 is deliberately classic, capitalizing on decades of firefighting aircraft experience while minimizing development risk.
“There’s no need to reinvent the wheel,” Pincet explained, adding that before finalizing the design, the team consulted extensively with firefighters and crews across Europe to understand the limitations of current aircraft and incorporate necessary improvements.
Several European countries currently use the Canadian-made De Havilland (previously Bombardier) Canadair CL-215 and CL-415 amphibious aircraft in firefighting duties. This is, however, an ageing platform, which some operators, like Spain, have been looking to replace.
In this regard, the European Commission announced in 2024 its plans to acquire 22 units of the future De Havilland Canadair 515 aircraft, DeHavilland’s update of the iconic CL-215/CL-415 series, for a pooled European firefighting fleet. Twelve of these units will be financed through the rescEU program under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
Pincet, a former French Air Force brigadier general with experience in aerial firefighting operations, expressed his disappointment with this decision, highlighting that Europe has the know-how and capabilities to locally develop a clean-sheet, new generation firefighting aircraft.
Pincet envisions the Fregate-F100 becoming the centerpiece of a European industrial cooperation program, with Airbus and a broader network of suppliers participating.
Likewise, Pincet remained prudent about the attempts made by some manufacturers and operators to repurpose civilian airliners for firefighting direct attack roles
“You cannot turn a family car into a battle tank,” he said.
Beyond firefighting, Hynaero sees significant market potential for the Fregate-F100 in other roles such as cargo operations, search and rescue missions, maritime patrol and even passenger transportation.
The immediate market includes the replacement of around 90 Canadair amphibious aircraft currently operating in Europe. Furthermore, Pincet said additional aircraft may also be ordered as a result of some countries seeking to expand their current firefighting capabilities in view of the increasingly severe wildfire seasons, a phenomenon attributed to global warming.
Private firefighting operators in North America have also expressed interest, Pincet explained.
Altogether, Hynaero estimates the global market to stand at approximately €20 billion, representing about 300 aircraft. The company aspires to capture half of this market, delivering 150 aircraft through 2050.
The total program, including its development and industrial stages, requires approximately €1 billion in funding. Hynaero has already raised €1 million in an initial round and is currently seeking another €15 million in seed funding.
The Bordeaux-based startup aims to have the first two Fregate-F100 prototypes ready for testing in 2029, with entry into service tentatively, planned for late 2031. The aircraft is under EASA’s CS25 certification path.
Hynaero is positioning the aircraft as a flexible platform capable of addressing the growing environmental challenge of larger, more frequent wildfires with a purpose-built European solution.
