Flying Machines Of Bangalore Airport

As fire breaks out, 2 Rosenbauer 6x6 Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) machines rush to the spot with their sirens blaring and lights flashing.

- Bhushan Mhapralkar

They come flying at 100 kmph (they have a top speed of 120 kmph) to the scene. Accelerating from 0 to 80 kmph in 25 seconds with a GVW of 36-tonne each (including 12,500 kg of water, 1,500 litre of foam and 200 kg of dry chemical powder), the 2 Rosenbauer 6x6 airport trucks, painted in a shade of highly visible red, are a sight to behold as their canons unleash a strong spray of water mixed with foam.

In a few seconds the raging fire is out. Fortunately, the fire was a simulation of what could actually be the case, and how the ARFF machines are capable of dealing with it. Departing as quickly as they arrive, the 2 Rosenbauers, according to Javed Malik, the chief Operating Officer of the Bangalore International Aiport, cost a million dollar each. “I get a fever if these machines are not running. The airport stops operating. And, if the Bangalore Airport stops operation, the country stops flying,” he quipped. The third busiest airport in India according to Malik, the Bangalore International Airport is Indigo’s second biggest base and Air Asia’s largest base. It is thus well integrated into the network.