THE Clark International Airport may soon see a safety-ratings upgrade from the International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) as it awaits the delivery of two modern fire trucks from Austria.
When delivered, the airport will be classified with a Category 10 rating, a notch up from the current assessment on fire safety.
Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III said a team led by the aviation hub’s emergency managers recently went to Austria to check on the capabilities of the two Rosenbauer fire trucks ordered to upgrade the airport’s services.
The rapid fire trucks are capable to handle large aircraft, such as Airbus’s A380 and Boeing’s B777. The units can also handle Russian-made cargo aircraft Antonov AN225.
The air hub purchased one unit of Rosenbauer 6×6 2250 Gallons Major Tender Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle (ARVF) worth P46.48 million, and one unit of Rosenbauer 6×6 3,000 Gallons Major Tender ARVF with High Reach Extendable Turret worth P69 million.
Clark Airport currently has four units of Oshkosh fire trucks. The old units are about 19 years of age and are set to be replaced.
Rosenbauer fire trucks were approved by the previous management, led by then-President Victor Jose I. Luciano. The new fire trucks are expected to be delivered early next year.
Clark Airport is 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 and camera. Rosenbauer is one of the leading makers of world-class firefighting systems based in Austria.
Meanwhile, the airport operator expects to receive an initial budget of P1.2 billion for the construction of the P7.2-billion low-cost carrier terminal at the aviation hub in the north.
It is awaiting the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority Board for the official rollout of the project. The transport agency tapped the services of French firm Aeroports Du Paris for the said terminal. It is designed to accommodate at least 10 million passengers annually.