The government contract for leasing two firefighting helicopters for the 2025-2027 period has gone to a company which had been disqualified from the same tender last year, media reported on Monday.

According to daily Politis, the lease contract for 2025-2027 – with an option to renew through to 2028-2029 – has been awarded to a company by the name of Air Taurus.

The paper said this is the same company disqualified from the tender put out in 2024.

Official documents dating to May 2024 and seen by Politis state that the company was disqualified as it had failed to specify a project team, and did not submit any supporting documentation – such as certificates, permits or diplomas for the helicopter crews and technicians.

In short, Air Taurus had been deemed unfit to be considered as a bidder. Other bidders had been disqualified as well.

Also participating in the 2024 tender were the companies: AceHawk Aerospace Ltd, Gdat General Aviation Company Ltd, SJ Contracting Services Ltd and EFA Ventures.

Regarding the current contract for 2025-2027, the other bidders have a 15-day window to file objections to the decision with the Tenders Review Authority.

They also have the right to appeal the decision with the administrative court. If they choose to, they must do so within 75 days of notification of the tender result. The notification was made on February 28 this year.

The leasing of firefighting helicopters had turned into something of a running fiasco, following the publication of a report by the Audit Office in December 2022 flagging several irregularities in the tendering processes.

That report triggered an administrative probe by the ministry of agriculture which scrutinised the entire spectrum – leasing, maintenance etc. The investigation covered the period 2017 to the present day.

The ministry subsequently forwarded its findings to the attorney-general’s office, which decided to green-light a criminal probe.

The other aspect of the affair is Cyprus’ ongoing reliance on leases for its airborne firefighting capabilities. The government has said that it wants to become self-reliant– owning all the planes and helicopters it uses.

In April 2024, during a discussion in parliament, officials revealed that Cyprus had no firefighting aircraft available. A forestry department official told stunned MPs that the eight aircraft under the forestry department’s service were still being repaired.

Later, in July, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou stated that authorities availed of 11 primary airborne means – four helicopters and seven airplanes. In addition, authorities could deploy up to another six helicopters as backup – two of the National Guard, two of the police, and two of the British bases.