The Cypriot mission to France to assist in fighting the major wildfires in that country concluded today.

As the National Civil Protection Coordinator, Chief Fire Officer Nikos Logginos, told CNA, the crew is returning to Cyprus today, and the aircraft and their pilots are expected to arrive on Sunday after making stopovers to refuel.

Mr. Logginos stated that the Cypriot mission was completed today, as the situation in the area where the Cypriot aircraft were operating has stabilized and the fire is now under control.

The two aircraft departed this morning from the Perpignan area in southwestern France, where they had been based throughout the operation, and began their return journey to Cyprus.

As Mr. Loginos explained, due to the long distance, the aircraft are returning via stopovers for refueling before completing the final leg of their flight to Cyprus.

According to him, the aircraft will make stops in Sardinia, Lametia in Italy, and Souda in Crete before departing on Sunday morning for Paphos.

Furthermore, the mission crew is returning to Cyprus tonight on a private flight.

The Air Force Chief also noted that, during their stay in France, the Cypriot aircraft carried out a large number of operations, including repeated water drops, helping both to tackle the active fire front and to suppress flare-ups.

It should be noted that Cyprus responded to a request from France through the European Civil Protection Mechanism (rescEU), by dispatching two firefighting aircraft to support firefighting operations.

As Mr. Loginos noted, the deployment of the two aircraft was made possible because the situation in Cyprus allowed for their availability to support firefighting operations in France.