The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) said on Jan. 28 that requiring foam fire suppression systems to be installed in Group II hangars is financially “impractical and not justifiable.”
Group II hangars, those of more than 12,000 sq ft with main doors up to 28 feet high, fall under new guidelines developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which sets standards for fire suppression and building codes, including those governing hangars (NFPA 409).
According to NATA, “The new NFPA 409 mandate will require aircraft hangar owners to incorporate foam fire suppression systems needing an enormous amount of water and will also require the foam and water to be collected in a cistern or other safe containment device. Those two requirements would place a huge financial burden on aircraft owners, equaling the cost of the aircraft hangar itself by some estimates.”
NATA wants the March 6 comment deadline extended six months and asks the NFPA to “convene a group of general aviation aircraft hangar owners to review and develop a new code appropriate to our industry, accounting for implementation cost and benefit.”
