Program

The first KEPPLAIR 72 prototype is coming!

2026-05-25

Objective: first water-drop tests by the end of the year. Certification and first deliveries in 2027. The KEPPLAIR72 is entering a new phase: the phase of making it real. This summer, we will welcome our first ATR 72 prototype to Toulouse-Blagnac, made available by our partner ACIA Aero Leasing. This marks a major milestone for the KEPPLAIR 72 “The Forest Keeper” program, a European multi-role aerial firefighting aircraft designed to address the urgent need to renew wildfire-fighting fleets worldwide. 🎯 Objective: first water-drop tests by the end of the year. Certification and first deliveries in 2027. This is more than just an industrial milestone. It is the culmination of several years of step-by-step work, progressing from one technical milestone to the next, supported by an exceptional ecosystem: Aerotec Concept, Victor Trotter #TrottersControls, the Toulouse Institute of Fluid Mechanics (IMFT), and strong institutional support from France2030, ERDF, the Occitanie / Pyrénées-Méditerranée Region, as well as a letter of interest from the Directorate General for Civil Protection and Crisis Management (DGSCGC). Our conviction? The world needs a new generation of aerial firefighting aircraft. Faster to deploy, more fuel-efficient, and more versatile. The KEPPLAIR 72 “Forest Keeper” is that answer.