AeroFlite Aerial Firefighting

What AeroFlite Aerial Firefighting does

Aero-Flite, Inc. is a US-based aerial firefighting company founded in 1963 and headquartered at Spokane International Airport, Washington, where it operates from a nearly 75,000 sq ft administrative, maintenance, and flight operations complex. The company is a division of the Canadian-based Conair Group, a diversified aviation and firefighting conglomerate. Aero-Flite maintains a fleet of 14+ purpose-built and engineered firefighting aircraft across three platforms: four Canadair CL-415 amphibious water scoopers (1,621-gallon water payload, capable of scooping from lakes/rivers), seven Avro RJ85 four-engine land-based airtankers (3,000-gallon retardant capacity, 300+ knot cruise), and three De Havilland Dash 8-400AT Type 2 airtankers (2,642-gallon capacity, fuel-efficient, 5,000-foot runway capability). Maintenance is performed under an FAA Part 145 Repair Station certificate, and flight operations are conducted under 14 CFR Part 137. Approximately 250 employees support operations, including 65+ pilots who receive annual training exceeding FAA requirements.

Aero-Flite generates revenue exclusively through direct government contracting with US federal and state agencies, providing aircraft and operational support under Exclusive-Use and Call-When-Needed (CWN) contract models. Named customers include the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, Cal Fire, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and Texas and Oklahoma fire agencies, with services spanning initial attack, extended attack, and large-scale wildfire suppression missions across the lower 48 states and Alaska. A second 45,000 sq ft hangar opened at Chico, California in March 2024 to support Cal Fire's regional tanker base, and a planned $35M, 100,000 sq ft Spokane facility is under development to accommodate up to 20 large airtankers. The company pursues continuous fleet modernization, with additional Dash 8-400AT airtankers expected through 2026.

Name

AeroFlite Aerial Firefighting

Legal name

Aero-Flite Inc.

Website

https://aerofliteinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Aero-Flite is a US aerial firefighting company founded in 1963, operating a fleet of 14+ specialized aircraft (CL-415 amphibious scoopers, RJ85, and Dash 8-400AT airtankers) to provide wildfire suppression and aerial firefighting services exclusively to US federal and state government agencies under Exclusive-Use and Call-When-Needed contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Firefighting Services

NAICS

Air Transportation (481)

akta.pro primary industry

Firebreak & Defensible Space Construction (AFAMAEAF)

Keywords

• Aerial firefighting services
• Wildfire suppression operations
• Airtanker services
• Government fire contracts
• Amphibious water scooping

Headquarters

HQ city

Spokane

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Air Tanker Contracts: Aero-Flite provides aircraft and operational support for Exclusive-Use and Call When Needed (CWN) contracted services for federal and state agencies. Services include CL-415 Scooper, Dash 8-400AT and Avro RJ85 Airtanker aircraft operations supporting wildfire suppression missions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aero-Flite provides contracted aerial firefighting services for federal and state agencies, operating a fleet of over 15 purpose-built firefighting aircraft (CL-415 amphibious water scoopers, Dash 8-400AT land-based airtankers, and Avro RJ85 land-based airtankers) under Exclusive-Use and Call When Needed (CWN) contracts. The company delivers initial attack and extended suppression missions supporting wildfire agencies across the United States, with comprehensive pilot training and FAA-certified maintenance programs.

Product overview

AeroFlite Aerial Firefighting operates a fleet of purpose-built aerial firefighting aircraft providing wildfire suppression and air support services across the United States and Canada. The company offers a portfolio of three aircraft types: CL-415 amphibious water scoopers capable of scooping water from natural sources, combined with Dash 8-400AT and Avro RJ85 land-based airtankers that deliver retardant from tanker bases. The fleet consists of 4 CL-415s, 3 Dash 8-400ATs (Type 2), and 7 RJ85s (Type 1), totaling 14+ aircraft. Services include Exclusive-Use and Call When Needed (CWN) contracted firefighting missions, supported by comprehensive pilot training programs and simulator training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CL-415 Amphibious Airtanker
• Avro RJ85 AT Airtanker
• Dash 8-400AT Airtanker
• Aerial Firefighting Training Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports all 48 states and Alaska with year-round firefighting operations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal agency customer providing aerial firefighting contracts and mission authorization for wildfire suppression operations across federal lands.
• U.S. Department of the Interior (Bureau of Land Management)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner for wildland fire management and suppression operations on BLM-managed lands.
• Federal Aviation AdministrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory body providing FAA Authorized Flight Operations Certificate under 14 CFR Part 137 and FAA Part 145 Repair Station certification.
• State of California (Cal Fire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency customer operating Cal Fire air tanker base in Chico, California where Aero-Flite maintains hangar facility.
• Washington State Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency customer with four-year contract for Dash 8-400AT airtanker services.
• Spokane Airport AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing hangar and operational facilities at Spokane International Airport headquarters location.
• Alaska Fire ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal fire management operations in Alaska where Aero-Flite deploys aircraft for wildfire suppression.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dynamic Aviation: Dynamic Aviation Group provides specialized aerial services including firefighting, ISR, and atmospheric research using a large fleet of King Air and other platforms. Comparable as a US-based operator with government fire management contracts and similar specialized aviation services business model.
• Dauntless Air: Dauntless Air is a Florida-based aerial firefighting operator providing CL-215/CL-415 water scooper services and other aviation assets to federal and state agencies. Comparable to Aero-Flite's CL-415 scooper operations and customer base, particularly for Southeastern US wildfire response.
• Minden Air Corporation: Minden Air Corporation is a Minden, Nevada-based aerial firefighting operator with a long history of USFS and state agency contracts. Directly comparable as a smaller but established fixed-wing aerial firefighting operator serving overlapping federal/state customers.
• Erickson Aero Tanker: Erickson operates a fleet of heavy-lift helicopters and converted airtankers for wildfire suppression and utility missions. Comparable as a US-based aerial firefighting operator competing for the same federal/state contracts, though Erickson focuses more on helicopter platforms versus Aero-Flite's fixed-wing fleet.
• Bridger Aerospace: Bridger Aerospace is a US-based aerial firefighting operator providing fixed-wing airtanker services to federal and state agencies. Directly comparable to Aero-Flite in mission, customer base, and contract structure — recently went public, providing a useful valuation benchmark for the niche. Aero-Flite's Director of Training (Rob Dewar) was previously Bridger's VP of Flight Operations.
• Coulson Aviation: Coulson Aviation is a global aerial firefighting company operating a mixed fleet of fixed-wing airtankers and helicopters across the US, Canada, Australia, and other international markets. Directly comparable to Aero-Flite in service offering and customer type; Coulson is among the largest competitors for next-generation airtanker contracts including with the USFS.
• 10 Tanker Air Carrier: 10 Tanker Air Carrier operates a fleet of converted BAe 146 / Boeing 747 large airtankers for US wildfire suppression under USFS Exclusive-Use and CWN contracts. Directly comparable in mission and customer base, competing head-to-head with Aero-Flite for federal and state retardant delivery contracts.
• Neptune Aviation Services: Neptune Aviation Services is a Missoula, Montana-based aerial firefighting company operating BAe 146 Type 1 airtankers and P2V water scoopers under USFS contracts. Directly comparable to Aero-Flite as one of the legacy US aerial firefighting operators with a multi-decade track record and similar federal contract mix.

Emerging players

• Pacific Aerial Surveys / Helitak Firefighting: Helitak Firefighting is an Australian aerial firefighting operator using helicopter-based retardant delivery systems for wildfire suppression. Not a direct US competitor but a relevant adjacent peer operating in the same niche globally; useful as a benchmark for international aerial firefighting business models and growth trajectories.

Others

• Conair Aviation: Conair Aviation is the sister Canadian division of Conair Group (Aero-Flite's parent), operating a fleet of CL-215/CL-415/CL-415EAF water scoopers and other airtankers primarily in Canada. Same parent, same business model, but operates in a different geography; included for completeness as the most directly comparable operationally, with potential cross-border crew/aircraft sharing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/aerofliteaerialfirefighting
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aero-flite-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/aeroflite.aerial.firefighting

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AeroFlite Aerial Firefighting