Bushfire fighters McDermott Aviation spends millions more on airfreight to battle blazes overseas
A Sunshine Coast-based aviation firm in Greece battling savage bushfires is facing a skyrocketing bill to bring its fleet back home for Queensland’s bushfire season.
Sunshine Coast
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Skyrocketing airfreight costs have left a Cooroy aviation business scrambling to get its firefighting helicopter fleet back from Greece.
McDermott Aviation is facing having to spend “millions of dollars more” to move its fleet in and out of the country and the cost of logistics to help fight overseas fires soars.
“It makes you check the viability of going away to do that job, if you’re spending all the money back into airfreight,” McDermott Aviation boss Simon McDermott said.
Mr McDermott said it was costing “millions of dollars more” to move machines to and from Australia due to a lack of airfreight services.
He said companies that had in the past relied on passenger jets to move their stock had started relying more on airfreight services because of the downturn in the number of passenger planes in the air.
The aviation business is in its third firefighting season in Greece.
Mr McDermott said the business preferred to use airfreight because its machines were out of action for about four days compared to the four to six weeks on a ship between Australia and Europe.
He said the cost was so steep the business was considering branching into airfreight.
“We’re looking at a one-stop shop with airfreight in it, we’ll be a moving emergency services package,” Mr McDermott said.
He said the business would still pick up its responsibilities in Queensland on time for the start of the state’s fire season.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services rural fire service area director Andrew Allan said traditionally the fire season on the Sunshine Coast would have started by now but unseasonal rain had changed things.
“We’re not expecting much of a season because of the short and long-range weather forecast,” he said.
Instead, crews were working with partner agencies like Queensland Parks and Wildlife and councils on fire mitigation activities.
Mr Allan said that despite the prediction of a mild season on the Sunshine Coast and in Noosa, crews were still ready.
“All the appliance checks are done, the PPE is up to scratch and the training is complete,” he said.
“While it could be wet, we don’t fall into complacency.”
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