The two RescEU aircraft are already stationed at the European Regional Firefighting Station in Cyprus, which is expected to be inaugurated later this year, Zacharias Giakoumis, Head of Communication at the European Commission’s DG ECHO, said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a briefing in Nicosia on the EU’s preparations ahead of the 2026 wildfire season, Giakoumis said the Commission’s package includes 27 aerial firefighting assets, 22 aircraft and five helicopters, as well as 787 firefighters from 14 countries, who will be pre-positioned in six countries.
For the first time, he added, European firefighters will also be pre-positioned in Cyprus, with 15 expected to be stationed on the island for an initial two-week period.
Replying to a question, Giakoumis said the President of the Republic is in contact with the European Commission to set the date for the inauguration of the Cyprus station.
He said the two RescEU aircraft are already at the station and are expected to be operational from June 15 to October 31. The station, he added, will host a total of six aircraft of the same type, one of which will be used for training purposes. Further details on staffing and equipment will be announced at the inauguration.
Giakoumis said the station will have a wider regional role, focusing on cooperation with countries outside the European Union and on strengthening operational capacity through joint exercises and other actions.
Referring to the broader EU framework, he said RescEU assets are mobilised through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism when assistance is requested by a country facing a crisis. The European Commission fully covers stationing costs, including personnel, as well as transport costs.
Cyprus, he said, has activated the Mechanism 12 times, seven of them for wildfires from 2016 to 2025, while it has provided assistance through the Mechanism 15 times over the past ten years, mainly for wildfires.
Giakoumis noted that 2025 was the worst wildfire year in the EU in the past two decades, with around one million hectares burned. For Cyprus, he said, it was also the worst recent year, with around 13,000 hectares burned.
For 2026, he said data up to April 30 show a situation close to the 20-year average, but forecasts point to above-average temperatures in the Mediterranean and southern Europe in July, August and September, increasing wildfire risk.