Documents link Cypriot contracts to company of Spanish "Cartel del Fuego"
Avialsa, convicted in Spain for the aerial firefighting scandal, held €32 million in contracts with Cyprus's Forestry Department. Investigations into three employees are ongoing.
Avialsa and millions of euros in contracts with the Forestry Department
A company convicted in Spain for involvement in the international aerial firefighting scandal known as the "Cartel del Fuego" collaborated with the Republic of Cyprus for years, according to information published by Philenews.
The company in question is AVIALSA — which was renamed Titan Fire Fighting Company S.L. in 2019 — and it received cumulative contract awards totalling €32,194,500 from the Forestry Department over just four years.
The "fire cartel" and the role of Avialsa
The "Cartel del Fuego" was a network involving Spanish state officials which, through court approval, predetermined contracts for aerial firefighting equipment. A Spanish court judgment in February 2025 revealed Avialsa's pivotal role in the scandal. The company was barred from public contracts in Spain as a result of its conviction.
At the same time, according to Philenews, the same company was a close partner of the Cypriot Republic's Forestry Department — a fact documented by aerial firefighting tender documents.
Documents confirm company identity
Tender documents from the Forestry Department examined by the newspaper contain a written admission: Titan Fire Fighting Company S.L. is the same legal entity as Avialsa T-35 S.L., which was renamed on 24 July 2019, with the VAT number remaining unchanged.
The same document states: "In its tender, the company Titan Fire Fighting Company SL included a letter in which it states that the company Titan Fire Fighting Company SL is the same company as Avialsa T-35 SL, which was renamed in 2019 to Titan Fire Fighting Company SL, with the VAT number remaining the same."
This admission resulted from an official translation of documents transmitted to the Contracting Authority by electronic message dated 27 February 2020.
2022 tender: 64.78% overrun and final award
In a 2022 tender for the lease of two aerial firefighting aircraft, the Tender Board observed significant deviations in Titan Fire Fighting Company S.L.'s bid. According to evaluation documents reviewed by Philenews, the financial offer exceeded the Forestry Department's cost estimate by 64.78%.
The Tender Board also noted that the difference per pilot reached 147%, as the economic operator had fewer pilots than required. The Evaluation Committee Coordinator clarified that the two missing pilots were reserves and had no obligation to be present in Cyprus except in case of need.
Despite these reservations, the contract was ultimately awarded to Titan Fire Fighting Company S.L.
Criminal investigation from 2024
Philenews's journalistic investigation was prompted by a criminal prosecution underway in Cyprus since 2024, following an internal investigation conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture at the direction of Minister Maria Panayiotou.
Through the case file it emerged that in just four years a company received contracts totalling €32,194,500. These contracts are the subject of a criminal investigation, with a principal suspect being a Forestry Department official.
According to Philenews, police enquiries have focused on three officials of the Forestry Department. Investigators found that all three were indirectly connected to companies receiving public funds, whilst behind some of these companies relatives of the officials under investigation were identified.
Payments also for "training abroad"
Avialsa's cooperation with the Forestry Department was not limited to large contracts alone. A payment statement found by Philenews shows the Forestry Department paying €61,630 to Avialsa with the justification "Scholarships and Training Abroad".
Titan Fire Fighting Company S.L. — that is, Avialsa — had other contracts with the Forestry Department beyond those covered by the criminal proceedings, the report states, all relating to aerial firefighting equipment and related services.
Source: Philenews