Page 14 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014 Online Magazine

AVIATION SAFETY
AVIATION SAFETY
Fire First Responders
Rosenbauer Panther ARFF vehicles dominate the Indian market, reports J.K. Chandra
Rosenbauer Panther 6x6
ARFF vehicle at Kempegowda
International Airport in
Bengaluru with roof mounted
FLIR system fitted on top right
14 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2014
AUSTRIA bASEd FIREFIGhTInG of India (AAI). American manufacturer
equipment leader, Rosenbauer has Oshkosh has been singularly unsuccessful
emerged as the preferred choice for Indian in cracking the Indian market, managing
airports with its Panther 6x6 Airfield Crash an order for only two Oshkosh Striker
Fire Tender (ACFT). It has received orders 3000 Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting
for more than 110 Panther 6x6 and 8x8 (ARFF) vehicles from Chhatrapati Shivaji
ACFT’s, since 2005. With India upgrading International Airport (CSIA) in Mumbai.
a large number of airports along with The 2009 order for two identically
creation of new Greenfield airports, it will equipped Strikers, for which deliveries
remain a key market for Rosenbauer in were completed in 2010, has been the
the future along with China, in the Asia company’s only success in the Indian
region. The specialist Austrian firefighting subcontinent till date.
company, has cornered the market for While New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi
highly specialised firefighting vehicles in International Airport operates ten Panther
India and China. The rest of the market 6x6 ACFT’s, the others are in operation
in both countries “Is dominated by low- at international airports in Bengaluru,
priced municipal vehicles with little Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,
or no claim to quality or technological Trivandrum and Nanded to name a few.
sophistication”, says Rosenbauer. Bangalore International Airport Limited
Approximately 220 airfield crash fire (BIAL) has been operating four Panther
tenders are in use across airports in India, 6x6 ACFT’s since 2007, to meet the
with the Panther and fire tenders based on required level of protection for the airport
Czech TATRA platforms, being the main (as per ICAO Annex 14, Chapter-9). BIAL
types according to the Airports Authority is designated as a Cat-9 airport but “We
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