India's First Emergency Evacuation Vehicle Inducted Into Mumbai International Airport

In a bid to make access to an aircraft faster during emergencies, the Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), which administers the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) has inducted the Emergency Evacuation Vehicle (EEV) in its fleet. The Mumbai International Airport becomes the first in the country to get such an advanced evacuation vehicle that can access even the largest of passenger aircraft including the Airbus A380, the largest civilian aircraft in operation at present. This is the seventh emergency evacuation vehicle at the airport, but offers better access to the aircraft and can speed up the evacuation process in an emergency.

(The EEV is built on a MAN chassis by Austrian fire-service manufacturer Rosenbauer)

The Emergency Evacuation Vehicle is built on a MAN chassis by Austrian fire-service manufacturer Rosenbauer. The truck comes with extendable escape stairs that can reach up to a height of 8.3 metres, equal to that of the Airbus A380. The evacuation staircase has been designed to withstand up to 40 knots of windspeeds, while the extension time is just 55 seconds. The EEV is also equipped with a high-pressure smoke ventilation system and is capable of holding up to 115 people at once.

(The Rosenbauer EEV can extend up to 8.3 metres in height within 5.5 seconds, same as the A380)

The EEV is intended to act as a back-up vehicle in case the internal evacuation system on the aircraft fails to work. The evacuation vehicle with its wider frame and anti-skid floor makes for a safe and effective way to extract passengers in an emergency. The closed side panels on the entire stair and platform area increase safety and prevent fear of falling.

The escape stairs can hold up to 155 passengers at a time)

A simple user interface makes it possible for all actions to be controlled by one person, while a roof monitor offers visibility up to 90 metres. The EEV can also be used should the cabin crew is not in a condition to process the evacuation procedure. In such a case, firefighters can gain faster access to the aircraft using the vehicle. The vehicle is the only of its kind in the Mumbai airport Aerodrome Rescue and firefghting department that can access the tail engine in case of a fire.

(The anti-skid floor ensures that passengers don't fall down the stairs when descending)

The Rosenbauer Emergency Evacuation Vehicle is powered by a MAN Euro 6 SCR engine tuned for 337 bhp and can hit 0-80 kmph in 30 seconds. A 3-axle, 6x6 setup makes the escape stairs truck capable of being driven on uneven surfaces without compromising on ride quality of speed. The top speed is rated at 105 kmph.

(The Escape stair case also comes with a smoke ventilation extraction system)

The Mumbai international airport handles over 1.5 lakh passengers with over 950 aircrafts everyday. In fact, it broke the world record earlier this year operating over 1000 aircrafts in a single day. Safety then is extremely necessary and the advanced equipment only helps matters further. The EEV has a response time of just two minutes to anywhere in the airport vicinity.