Editors PickNational News

KIA fire engines grounded

The country’s biggest and busiest air transport hub, Kamuzu International Airport (KIA), has no operational fire engine of its own at present, The Nation can reveal.

Our investigations show that all the fire engines stationed at the airport have been grounded for weeks now.

A plane landed at KIA
A plane landed at KIAb

KIA is currently using a hired fire engine from the Malawi Defence Force (MDF).

While confirming the development, director of Civil Aviation in the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Alfred Mtilatila, parried away fears, saying the fire engines would soon be undergoing extensive maintenance.

However, he could not give more details and referred The Nation to the KIA commandant Don Chimtengo who said the fire engines were grounded because they had sucked a lot of dust, which affected their pulling power.

Explained Chimtengo: “The engines are too old, as such, you cannot expect them to operate effectively. The requirement is that when an air traffic controller presses a fire alarm at any point within the perimeter of the airport, the engine must be there in 120 seconds.”

He, however, said the cheque for repairs was ready on Friday and that the internal procurement committee (IPC) will purchase spares.

“By Wednesday [today], the engines should be operational again,” said Chimtengo.

Asked whether KIA is not operating against International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) standards by not having a fire engine of its own, Chimtengo said they were advised by government to maintain the airport’s category nine in the Icao’s raddar “so that we can continue to accommodate big planes as we await repairs”.

Said Chimtengo: “We are not cheating airlines. As a matter of fact, government is so keen at maintaining the airport’s category and this is why money for repairs has been released.”

But he could not say how much the Civil Aviation Department is spending on allowances for the hired engines and MDF personnel.

However, an inside source, who did not want to be identified, said four MDF officers get K8 000 per day each.

In an interview, MDF spokesperson Colonel Francis Kakhuta Banda said it is normal for the Department of Civil Aviation and MDF to lend each other equipment.

“I can confirm that KIA hired our big fire engine and four crew members a few weeks ago; they feared their [engines] absence would compromise KIA’s category,” said Banda.

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