Brussels Airport invests €6 million in new airport fire service equipment

Brussels Airport has strengthened its emergency response capabilities with the introduction of four new Rosenbauer crash tenders and a state-of-the-art driving simulator, representing a total investment of almost €6 million.

The new vehicles replace five older crash tenders and are designed specifically for rapid airfield operations. Each 39-tonne vehicle can carry 12,500 litres of water, 1,500 litres of firefighting foam and 225 kilograms of dry powder, while roof-mounted monitors can discharge up to 5,200 litres of water per minute. One vehicle is additionally equipped with a steel piercing nozzle, allowing extinguishing agents to be injected directly into an aircraft cabin or cargo hold.

The crash tenders comply with the latest ICAO and EASA safety standards. Brussels Airport has also acquired a simulator featuring an identical cab to the new vehicles, enabling firefighters to train in realistic emergency scenarios without disrupting operations.

The airport’s in-house fire service employs 150 firefighters, providing round-the-clock emergency cover from two fire stations located on opposite sides of the airport. International regulations require airport firefighters to reach any incident on the airfield within three minutes, with at least three crash tenders responding, while emergencies in airport buildings must be reached within five minutes.

Following the fleet renewal, Brussels Airport’s fire service now operates around 25 specialist vehicles, including six crash tenders, aerial ladder trucks, pumping appliances, an evacuation stair vehicle and a firefighting robot for hard-to-reach fires.