CLARK FREEPORT – The Clark International Airport (CIA) here is importing two state-of-the-art fire trucks costing P113.5 million that would be the only one of their kind in the country and give the airport the highest Category 10 rating for emergency capabilities.
Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President- CEO Emigdio Tanjuatco III said the decision to import the fire trucks came after a CIAC team led by emergency services department manager Federico Primero Jr. flew recently to Austria to check the capabilities of the two Rosenbauer fire trucks.
“One of the fire trucks would be equipped with a turret that can bore into the top of a burning airplane to pump water into the aircraft. No such fire truck exists in the Philippines at present,” said CIAC information officer Rendy Isip. The fire trucks are expected at the airport here early next year.
Tanjuatco described the fire trucks as “world class and at par with international standards.” He said the purchases consist of “one unit Rosenbauer 6×6 2,250 Gallons Major Tender Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle (ARVF) worth P46.5 million and one unit Rosenbauer 6×6 3,000 Gallons Major Tender ARVF with High Reach Extendable Turret worth P69 million.”
Tanjuatco said the acquisition of both Rosenbauer fire trucks was approved by the previous CIAC President-CEO Victor Jose Luciano. “Clark Airport would be the first international airport in the Philippines to have a state of the art fire truck equipped with a high extendable turret with piercing nozzle with camera,” he noted.
Isip noted that “Rosenbauer serves the airport services around the world with innovative and professionally designed quality Panther ARFF Vehicles, Chasis, superstructure and firefighting systems are fully integrated, designed and manufactured within Rosenbauer Group. Rosenbauer is one of the leading makers of world class firefighting systems based in Austria.”
With the purchase of the two new fire trucks, Clark Airport can rate Category 10 which is the highest rating set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Clark Airport has currently four units of Oshkosh firetrucks.
The old fire trucks are about 19 years of age and are set to be replaced,” Isip added. Tanjuatco said a Category 10 rating would signify Clark’s capability to cope with emergencies involving AirBus-380 and the Russian made Antonov- 225.d aircraft.
This, even as Tanjuatco stressed that Clark airport now hosts eight low-cost carriers and legacy airlines. These include Asiana Airlines with daily flights to Incheon in South Korea with connecting flights to the United States; Dragonair with flights to Hong Kong, Cebu Pacific Air with flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and domestic flights to Cebu; Tiger Air Philippines with flights to Singapore and Hong Kong; Jin Air with flights to Incheon; Air Asia Berhad with flights to Kuala Lumpur; Seair-International with flights to Caticlan, and; Qatar Airways with daily flights to Doha in Qatar.
