Client:
Bombeiros
Sector:
Public Safety
Location:
Portugal
Purpose:
Fire Fighting
About:
Bombeiros Portugal is the national firefighting and civil protection force, responsible for emergency response across wildfires, urban incidents, and coastal rescues. With one of Europe’s largest public safety drone networks, they use AirHub to manage operations, ensure compliance, and enhance situational awareness during critical missions.
Wildfire response. Coastal SAR. National-scale drone coordination.
Portugal’s fire and civil protection services rely on AirHub to manage one of Europe’s largest drone programs - with over 700 pilots and teams operating across the country.
Overview
In recent years, Portugal has faced devastating wildfires in its forests and remote interior regions, along with complex coastal search-and-rescue (SAR) missions along its rugged Atlantic coast. To tackle these high-risk scenarios with greater speed and intelligence, Portuguese firefighting and civil protection authorities have built a nationwide drone capability, with AirHub as the central platform.
Today, over 700 certified drone pilots use AirHub to manage their drone assets, plan and document operations, and provide real-time situational awareness during critical incidents.
“With AirHub, we have a single, secure platform to coordinate hundreds of drone teams across different regions and agencies, whether it’s wildfires inland or maritime rescues along the coast.”
Why AirHub
Portuguese agencies required more than a flight app - they needed an integrated solution to manage drone teams, missions, compliance, and data across a decentralized yet unified national system.
AirHub delivers:
A centralized Drone Operations Center (DOC) connecting hundreds of operators
Support for both manual and drone-in-a-box deployments
Real-time streaming and mission telemetry during wildfire and SAR operations
Full integration with training records, compliance status, and asset airworthiness
Multi-agency coordination tools for fire brigades, civil protection, and SAR teams
Secure, ISO27001-compliant deployment with national data residency
Mission Types: From Wildfires to Coastal Rescue
Portugal’s diverse geography requires a flexible, all-terrain drone strategy. AirHub supports multiple types of operations:
1. Wildfire Monitoring & Response
During intense wildfire seasons - especially in areas like Castelo Branco, Leiria, or the Serra da Estrela - AirHub is used to:
Launch and coordinate thermal drones for firefront tracking
Map heat hotspots and smoke drift in real time
Monitor fire spread and guide ground crews safely
Provide aerial overviews to command centers and frontline units
These missions are often run concurrently across regions. AirHub’s centralized platform ensures each team operates with a clear picture of what’s happening - and what’s next.
2. Search and Rescue (SAR) at Sea
Portugal’s long Atlantic coastline is a frequent scene of SAR operations, involving missing swimmers, boaters in distress, and cliff rescues. As shown in the video below, drone units provide:
Live aerial imaging to search wide maritime areas
Visual confirmation of victims or vessels in distress
Support for coordinated multi-agency rescues involving maritime police, firefighters, and coast guard
3. Post-Incident Review and Training
After-action analysis is a key part of professionalization. Using AirHub, mission data is saved and reviewed to:
Assess response times and team efficiency
Improve future deployments
Deliver targeted training to new or existing drone pilots across districts
One National Platform, Hundreds of Teams
AirHub’s implementation supports:
700+ pilots and dozens of regional authorities
Multiple drone brands and payloads (RGB, thermal, night vision)
Regional and national compliance monitoring
Shared dashboards for command centers and field teams
“It’s not just about flying drones - it’s about ensuring that every flight is safe, legal, and adds value. AirHub lets us do that, across the entire country.”
Scaling Smart: From Reactive to Proactive
Scaling Smart: From Reactive to Coordinated
The adoption of AirHub marks a shift from decentralized, ad hoc drone deployments to a nationally coordinated and standardized approach.
Through a single platform, Bombeiros Portugal is able to unify drone teams across regions, streamline compliance, and ensure consistent operational workflows, from wildfire zones in the interior to coastal SAR missions.
Rather than relying on siloed apps or local documentation, the AirHub platform enables:
Central mission planning with shared checklists and risk assessments
Real-time visibility of active missions and available assets
Post-incident analysis to improve future response strategies
Nationwide compliance oversight, including pilot qualifications and asset airworthiness
Scalable coordination across hundreds of drone pilots and dozens of regional units
And by supporting a wide range of drone types and payloads AirHub provides flexibility without complexity.
Secure, Compliant, and Ready for Every Mission
AirHub is deployed in Portugal as a secure SaaS platform, tailored to the operational needs of public safety teams and compliant with EU standards.
Key features include:
ISO 27001 & ISO 9001 certification for information security and quality management
Cloud-based access for regional teams, with GDPR-compliant data handling
Centralized user and permission management across agencies
Audit trails for every flight, mission, and document update
Secure storage of images, video, and mission logs for training and review
With AirHub, Bombeiros Portugal gains a reliable foundation to build and manage a future-proof drone capability.
Results
✅ Real-time intelligence during active wildfires
✅ Improved safety for responders and civilians
✅ Faster SAR operations with better coordination
✅ Centralized control over training, compliance, and fleet readiness
✅ Future-ready architecture for autonomous deployment and AI integration
Conclusion: A Blueprint for National Drone Coordination
Portugal’s fire and emergency response agencies are proving that drone operations can be professional, scalable, and life-saving at a national level. With over 700 pilots and a wide range of scenarios—from forest fires to ocean rescues—AirHub plays a critical role in turning drone technology into real-world results.
“This isn’t just a drone program. It’s a coordinated, secure, nationwide capability - built for safety, speed, and scale.”
National Civil Protection Official (Portugal)
Ready to Coordinate Drone Teams at Scale?
AirHub supports national and regional authorities with tools to unify drone operations—from daily missions to disaster response.
📞 Get in touch for a demo
🖥️ Explore our Drone Operations Center
🔗 Learn more about our work in public safety