Convair Fleet Retired

2022 marked the final fire season for Conair’s fleet of nine CV580 airtankers, with all being retired after two decades of aerial firefighting service. The tankers are in great condition, thanks to meticulous maintenance, but their dispatch reliability is being challenged as operators around the world retire the type for modern aircraft, severely limiting availability of replacement parts and components. And being available to dispatch at a moment’s notice to a blaze is the core of wildfire response. It is the natural evolution at Conair, who take a proactive strategic approach to ensuring fleet availability. The Convair replaced the DC-6 and Grumman S-2 Tracker airtankers and now the modern Dash 8-400 airtanker replaces the Convair, bringing with it speed, advanced avionics, fuel efficiency, and tactical flexibility, with parts available for decades to come. Read more about the Convair’s celebrated history of aerial firefighting with Conair in Canadian Aviator Magazine…