The Federal Aviation Administration has opened public consultation on whether certain restricted-category aircraft should be allowed to carry firefighters to and from wildfire sites. The advance notice of proposed rulemaking, tied to a congressional mandate in the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, could broaden the aircraft available for wildfire suppression and ease transport bottlenecks for fire crews.
The proposal would affect civil restricted-category aircraft already used for special-purpose missions such as aerial firefighting, but current rules generally bar them from carrying people for compensation or hire. The agency is asking operators, fire agencies and other stakeholders to provide data on the availability of firefighter transport, operational barriers and the potential cost-benefit impact of any change.
FAA regulations now require standard-category aircraft and part 135 operations for transporting firefighters to a wildfire site. The notice also asks whether existing contracts, policies or operating practices would limit use of restricted-category aircraft even if the restriction were lifted.
Comments are due by 13 November 2026.