Queenstown Airport has made a significant investment in safety with the recent purchase of a new fire engine and the recruitment of seven new members for the Airport Emergency Service (AES) team.

The airport is the main entry and exit point by air for the lower South Island and it has forecast a busy summer as residents increase their travel and international visitors return in higher numbers.

The airport’s new fire engine, Rosenbauer Panther S, is a specialised aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle. It was built to Queenstown Airport’s specifications in Austria, Queenstown Airport head of assets and airport emergency service Wayne Stiven said. 

The six-wheel-drive truck carries 7,000 litres of water and 1,200 litres of foam. It also has a bumper monitor and thermal imaging camera.

Queenstown Airport is expecting a busy summer.

“This will enable us to respond to an emergency with the very latest fire and rescue technology,” Wayne said. 

“We’re very pleased to add this to our fleet.”

Queenstown Airport already has two Rosenbauer Buffalo fire trucks, bought in the mid-2000s.

“We will now have an extra vehicle for training and to cover maintenance,” Wayne said.

Queenstown Airport has also bolstered its AES team, hiring three new recruits at the start of the year and another three in July.

The two women and four men were all sent to the Singapore Aviation at Changi Airport for part of their training, practising using foam on Jet A1 fuel fires.

Another female recruit joined the team in September.

PHOTOS: Queenstown Airport