Minister for Transport, Mr. Antony Derjacques
Principal Secretary for the Department of Civil Aviation, Ports & Marine, Mr. Alan Renaud
Chairman of the SCAA board, Mr. Wilfred FockTave
Board members
Chief Fire Officer of the Seychelles Fire & Rescue Services Agency Ms. Tally Domingue
SCAA Management team
Members of the Media
Distinguished guests
Ladies & Gentlemen
Good morning, It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to Seychelles International Airport to witness the official commissioning of 2 new fire tenders for our Airport Fire & Rescue Services – AFRS.
A special welcome to our Minister for Transport, Mr. Antony Derjacques, PS Renaud, our Chairman & Board Members. Thank you for joining us today.
This ceremony also coincides with the celebration of the 52nd Anniversary of our airport that we celebrated on 20th March.
The addition of these 2 new fire tenders to our existing fleet represents an investment worth SCR21m, which symbolizes the SCAA’s commitment to the modernization of the airport. Such investment would add to our continued effort towards attaining and maintaining high standards of aviation safety and emergency response capabilities.
ICAO and National Regulations require that we have a minimum of 3 fire tenders on Mahe and 1 fire tender for Praslin, given the size of aircraft operating at our airports.
The addition of these new fire tenders brings the total fleet to 7: 5 on Mahe and 2 on Praslin. We will continue with our plans to replace the older ones.
The new tenders which will be based on Mahe and Praslin can hold a maximum water capacity of 12,000 litres, 1,500 litres of foam and up to 250kg of dry powder. They are equipped with High Reach Extendable Turret for reaching difficult areas. Although advanced, their features are designed to be user-friendly, providing the required safety for our firefighters.
The AFRS has a critical role to play in ensuring the safety and well-being of passengers, crew, and airport personnel. These state-of-the-art fire tenders are equipped with the latest firefighting technology and equipment, which would enable our dedicated firefighters to respond swiftly and effectively to airport emergencies that may arise.
I would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to our supplier, Naffco, based in Dubai, we have their representatives with us present today. They have been a key partner since 2018, supplying us with fire tenders, ambulances, spare parts and other firefighting equipment, and also assisting us in the provision of training to our firefighters.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all those involved in this process, my special thanks go to our dedicated team at the SCAA, to Minister Derjacques, our Board, our valued partners and the Government of Seychelles for their support.
To our esteemed firefighters; I commend you for your continued professionalism, dedication, and bravery. I have no doubt that these new fire tenders will further enhance your ability to discharge this crucial role you have to play. As we commission these new fire tenders today, let us reaffirm our collective commitment towards excellence and taking our airport from good to great.
I wish you all a good day.
Thank You.
About SCAA
The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) was established under the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority Act ,2005, as an administrative and financial body corporate to provide for the services, facilities and regulation of civil aviation activities in Seychelles, consistent and in accordance with national and international standards.
For more information, please visit: www.scaa.sc