Four Airports namely Dhangadhi, Janakpur, Chandragadhi and Surkhet are on the way to be equipped with Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) facility. Birendra Prasad Shrestha, Deputy Director General of CAAN said that all these four airports will be provided with the service along with one fire fighting vehicle each for which tender has been already awarded.

All the vehicles to be hand over to these airports are of normal category, he added. Whereas Pokhara Airport where this service already exists is on the way to be enhanced with one ARFF vehicle. Shrestha informed for this project too tender has been been awarded and will be soon accomplished. The new vehicle to be deployed at Pokhara Airport is of category 5.

Previously, CAAN had invited bids for total of 3 packages (from Package A to Package C). Where Package A included supply, delivery, testing & commissioning of Small ARFF Vehicle for Chandragadhi, Janakpur, Bharatpur and Dhangadhi Airport whereas Package B included supply and delivery, testing & commissioning of Ultralight Pressurized ARFF Vehicle for Different Domestic Airports. Likewise, Package C required the supply, delivery, testing of Ambulance for Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa and Biratnagar Airport.

Currently, the authority has 14 fire vehicles for various airports of the country. There are 5 fire vehicles at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). 12 fire vehicles falls under the ICAO criteria while the Ultra-Light Pressurized fire vehicle of Surkhet and Lukla airports are out of ICAO criteria.

TIA has three fire vehicles having capacity of 12,500 liters water and 1500 liters of foam whereas one has 9000 liters of water and 1500 liters of foam capacity and one has 6000 liters of water and 1000 liters of foam capacity.

Simara airport and Pokhara airport have 6000 liters of water and 1000 liters of foam capacity whereas Biratnagar airport has one fire vehicle having capacity of 9000 liters of water and 1500 liters of foam capacity.

Similarly, Nepalgunj airport has one fire vehicle having 12500 liters of water and 1500 liters of foam capacity and another has 9000 liters of water and 1500 of foam capacity.

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