Coulson Aviation Secures $400 Million, 10-Year Contract to Support Australia’s New South Wales Aerial Firefighting Capacity

Sydney, New South Wales - July 15, 2024 - Coulson Aviation is pleased to announce a new, $400 million dollar (AUD), 10-year contract with Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service (RFS). Awarded after an open and competitive bid process, Coulson will manage, operate, and maintain their entire fleet. The company has managed the majority of the NSW RFS aircraft fleet for the previous five years. This partnership strengthens local jobs and skills development, ensuring a robust response to the fire seasons.

The Coulson team will oversee a fleet of 11 aircraft, including a 737 FIRELINER Large Airtanker (LAT), two Cessna Citations, six Bell-412 helicopters, a CH-47 Chinook, and a Beechcraft Super King Air. The focus on employing primarily Australian crews will enhance NSW’s self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on international personnel. In coordination with the NSW RFS, Coulson will conduct rigorous training sessions and thorough equipment inspections as a proactive measure to reduce the devastating impact of bushfires and safeguard communities.

The contract includes expanding the apprenticeship program to develop the next generation of aviation personnel in NSW. A minimum of two mechanical apprentices will be part of the aviation team, providing them with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with firefighting aircraft. Coulson Aviation recently became the first aviation firm approved by Transport Canada as an Approved Training Organization (ATO), allowing the company to train technician candidates who can earn while they learn. The plan is to expand this model into NSW, attracting new technicians and training them specifically for the utility aviation environment and to continually develop a well-trained workforce. Additionally, collaboration with local schools will further grow and sustain this initiative.

"We are extremely pleased to have been chosen as the sole aviation supplier to operate the NSW Rural Fire Service owned fleet of firefighting and emergency services aircraft,” said Wayne Coulson CEO, of Coulson Group.” Coulson Aviation Australia has been the leading supplier of Large Air Tankers and Very Large Heli-Tankers to the Australian Governments for the past decade and it’s an honor to have been selected again, to continue to run RFS’s world-class fleet.”

“The RFS has found a reliable and high-performing partner in Coulson Aviation, and we look forward to working with them as our aerial capability continues to expand,” said Rob Rogers, Commissioner of the RFS.

During the 2022-23 bushfire season, RFS aircraft managed by Coulson Aviation completed over 340 missions and rescued 113 people. The RFS’s 737 ‘Marie Bashir’ was deployed 41 times, dropping over 600,000 liters of retardant. The fleet also supported other emergency services such as flood rescues.