CLARK FREE PORT—The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) is awaiting the delivery of two new fire trucks from Austria that would elevate the emergency-services rating of the Clark airport to Category 10.
Lawyer Emigdio Tanjuatco III, Ciac president and CEO, said a team led by CIA Emergency Services Department Manager Federico Primero Jr. and Assistant Manager Jaime Lacap recently went to Austria to check the capabilities of the two new Rosenbauer fire trucks procured by the Ciac last year.
The Ciac purchased one Rosenbauer 6×6 2250 gallons Major Tender Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle at P46.48 million and one Rosenbauer 6×6 3,000 gallons Major Tender ARVF with High Reach Extendable Turret at P69 million.
The acquisition of both Rosenbauer fire trucks were approved by the previous Ciac management.
The delivery of the new fire trucks are expected early next year and will add to the current four units of Oshkosh fire trucks of the Clark airport, which were purchased 19 years ago.
The Clark airport is the first international airport in the Philippines to have state-of-the-art fire trucks equipped with a high extendable turret with piercing nozzle, which also has a camera.
Rosenbauer fire trucks serve airports around the world with innovative and professionally designed quality Panther ARFF vehicles, chassis, superstructure and firefighting systems are fully integrated, designed and manufactured within the Rosenbauer Group. It is one of the leading makers of world-class firefighting systems and based in Austria.
With the purchase of the two new fire trucks, the Clark airport fire and rescue service will be rated Category 10, which is the highest rating set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Tanjuatco said that, with the Category 10 rating, Clark Airport can now handle the Airbus 380 and the Russian-made Antonov 225.
“These are world-class fire trucks that would increase the capability of the Emergency Services Department of the Clark airport to serve the eight airlines currently operating at the airport,” Tanjuatco said.
Tanjuatco identified the total of eight low-cost and legacy airlines currently flying out of Clark as Asiana Airlines with daily flights to Incheon, South Korea, with connecting flights in the United States; Dragonair with flights to Hong Kong; Cebu Pacific Air with flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and domestic flights to Cebu; Tigerair Philippines with flights to Singapore and Hong Kong; Jin Air with flights to Incheon; AirAsia Bhd. with flights to Kuala Lumpur; Seair-International with flights to Caticlan; and Qatar Airways that flies daily to Doha.
Jojo Due