Omni Táxi Aéreo, an affiliate of Omni Helicopters International Group (OHI), has signed a contract with Ibama, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, to progress efforts against forest fires in the Pantanal region of southern Brazil.
The partnership, expected to last six months from the end of August, will foresee the use of the twin-engine Airbus H225, equipped with the Bambi Bucket. The H225 can hold nineteen people and, with the Bambi Bucket, can carry up to three tons of water.
“This contract with Ibama is the result of our ability to showcase our operational excellence, high safety standards and emphasizes the high operational capacity and versatility of this large aircraft to fight fires and support other activities carried out by Ibama,” said Décio Galvão, Omni Táxi Aéreo’s Commercial Director. “With over 23 years of experience in different missions in Brazil, we hope to contribute to the protection of our ecosystems by acting swiftly and diligently against forest fires whilst creating the basis for a long-term commercial relationship with Ibama.”
The operation will include a specialist team of pilots, co-pilots, mechanics, and cargo masters, who will collaborate with Ibama’s firefighters. The aircraft presentation will take place in Brasília, however the operation may extend throughout the Midwest.
“Ibama is expanding its capacity in aerial operations to combat forest fires in the Pantanal and the Amazon. The large helicopter will provide a gain in efficiency, increasing the number of firefighters transported per trip from just four to 19, allowing for more time to be spent in the frontline,” commented Jair Schmitt, Ibama’s Director of Environmental Protection. “Its greater water transport capacity will also be an important improvement, increasing each release fivefold, which is a significant advantage in degraded forest areas where small releases or planes are currently ineffective. The concentrated release of water in these locations will be of great help to the ground teams, and this is only possible with helicopters of this size.”
This latest operation represents an expansion for OHI, which previously did not provide onshore services.
Photo: Omni Táxi Aéreo
