en.Wedoany.com Reported - Positive Aviation is advancing a project to modify an ATR-72 aircraft into an amphibious waterbomber. Later this year, the company will receive two pontoons weighing 1.2 metric tons each, which are planned to be installed on a demonstrator aircraft for testing to evaluate the performance after modification.

The project aims to transform the ATR-72 into an aircraft capable of water takeoffs and landings with firefighting functionality, suitable for emergencies such as forest fires. Based in Toulouse, France, Positive Aviation specializes in aviation technology development, and this modification represents a new venture for the company in the field of firefighting aircraft.

The modified ATR-72 aircraft will be able to land on water using the pontoons and load fire retardant for aerial dispersal. This has the potential to improve firefighting efficiency, particularly in remote or water-adjacent areas. Positive Aviation stated that the project is still in its early stages, with more flight tests to follow to verify safety.

Europe has faced increasingly severe forest fire challenges in recent years, and similar modification projects are seen as one of the countermeasures. If successful, Positive Aviation's ATR-72 modification project could provide a new option for firefighting aircraft technology, promoting the integration of aviation safety and environmental protection.

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