Milestone Sells Three H225s to Kitz-Air for a New Aerial Firefighting Capability
AeroMorning — August 25, 2026
On August 24, 2026, Milestone Aviation Group, a helicopter leasing and financing specialist owned by AerCap (an Irish aviation leasing group), announced the sale of three Airbus H225 helicopters to Austrian operator Kitz-Air GmbH. Delivered in July 2026, the aircraft represent Kitz-Air’s first transaction with Milestone.
The three helicopters will undergo modification and conversion work in Europe before entering service in aerial firefighting operations across Europe and South America. German Global Helicopter Services (GHS), a long-standing Milestone customer and partner, will undertake the conversions.
Stakeholder Roles & Deployment Scope
• Milestone Aviation Group (Seller): An AerCap company specializing in helicopter leasing and financing, including operating leases, purchase-and-leaseback transactions, secured debt financing, engine leasing and fleet advisory services.
• Kitz-Air GmbH (Operator): An Austrian helicopter operator specializing in heavy-lift, transport, special missions and aerial firefighting. Kitz-Air says its Super Puma fleet is used for high-water-load firefighting operations, including missions using external-load containers such as Bambi Buckets. CEO Christoph Klein described the H225 acquisition as an important step in expanding the company’s heavy-helicopter fleet and building reliable long-term aerial firefighting capacity, citing the aircraft’s payload, range and versatility.
• Global Helicopter Services (Conversion & Maintenance): A German helicopter services provider based in Kirchanschöring, with experience in helicopter operations, maintenance, special missions, external-load operations and firefighting. GHS will carry out the H225 conversion programme. Publicly available information does not establish that GHS has previously completed an identical H225 firefighting conversion, so the Kitz-Air programme should be regarded as a new dedicated H225 firefighting conversion programme for the company.
• Deployment Scope: Milestone states that the aircraft will enter aerial firefighting service across Europe and South America. The specific countries and initial operating bases have not been publicly disclosed.
• Undisclosed Details: The announcement does not specify the exact entry-into-service date, the final firefighting configuration, certified water capacity, bucket or tank system, final payload/endurance profile, or initial operating bases.
Operational Benchmarks: The H225 Firefighting Platform
While Kitz-Air’s specific configuration remains undisclosed, the H225/Super Puma family is already an established aerial firefighting platform.
Airbus currently identifies the H225 as capable of carrying up to 4,000 litres of water in a belly tank and up to 4,500 litres in a water bucket. Airbus also describes water-bomber helicopters as capable of repeated drops at intervals of approximately five to ten minutes when operating conditions and access to a water source permit.
Timeline & Programme Summary
- July 2026: Three H225s delivered to Kitz-Air.
- August 24, 2026: Milestone officially announces the sale.
- Current phase: Modification and conversion in Europe by Global Helicopter Services.
- Next phase: Entry into aerial firefighting service following completion of the conversion programme, with operations planned across Europe and South America.
Source: Milestone Aviation Group
