Southampton Airport has unveiled two brand new fire service vehicles, putting the Hampshire airport at the cutting-edge of fire safety technology across UK airports.

The two Rosenbauer Panther 6×6 vehicles are specialist fire engines specifically designed for airport use, and were built in Austria. The Panthers have a lifespan of around 20 years, and represent an investment of over 1million Euros by Southampton Airport.

The vehicles weigh 35 tonnes each carrying a combination of water (capacity 12,791 litres), specialist foam (capacity 1,583 litres) and a whole variety of vital safety equipment. The Panthers are capable of travelling up to 50mph, which is crucial in enabling the highly-trained crew to be at any airport location within three minutes of an emergency call. The vehicles use Euro three Caterpillar C18 diesel engines, which meet strict European environmental standards, and are more efficient than the 20 year old vehicles they replace. Other new technological benefits include; infrared to help with locating objects in reduced visibility (i.e. fog), 80m hose reels, cab operated foam monitors which can be used whilst in motion, as well as better acceleration and top speeds.