FAAN Takes Delivery Of Fire Tenders

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has taken delivery of six fire tenders that were sent to Kronenburg in Netherland for refurbishment, just as the agency said that it has adequate fire tenders to certify Lagos and Abuja airports.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has continuously said that no airport has been certified and that none would be certified until they meet the certification requirements.

The Director of Airport Operations, Captain Henry Omeogwu, who conducted journalists round the fire tenders, said that with these tenders, the agency can adequately contain any fire incident at the airport. He however did not reveal how much the agency spent o refurbishing the fire tenders.

According to him, FAAN now has enough fire tenders to certify th Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and Nnamdi Azikwe Airport (NAA), Lagos, adding if there are no fire tenders, there cannot be airport, as they determine the category of airport.

He said, “Fire tenders are very important at airports. If there are no fire tenders there will be no airport” The director added that the focus of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah is to ensure that there are no unserviceable fire tenders at airports across the country, adding that this necessitated the step taken by the agency to send the the fire tenders to the manufacturer in Netherland for refurbishing.

He added that the minister’s efforts has paid off with refurbishment of the six fire tender, adding that what the agency has achieved goes to show that the agency is not wasteful.

Omeogwu also disclosed that the manufacturer of the fire tenders will train FAAN fire men so as to further enhance their jobs, adding that presently, FAAN has about 96 engineers working in Fire section of the agency. The first group of FAAN fire personnel; he said will be in Netherland for six months training.

He revealed that the reason aircraft have not been flying to Jalingo is because the airport has no fire tender, adding that if the airport has fire tenders airlines would have been flying from Lagos to Jalingo.

Omeogwu said that FAAN has the minimum requirements as stipulated by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for its airports but that what the agency wants to do is to go beyond ICAO minimum.

The director of operations called on state governments, oil companies to partner with FAAN by taking some of the fire tenders to the manufacturer, where they will be refurbished and fitted with modern equipment.