Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433)

Aircraft Category for Fire Fighting

• 303.05 (1) An aircraft category for fire fighting set out in column I of an item of the table to this subsection shall be established for an aircraft based on the aircraft overall length set out in column II of the item and the aircraft maximum fuselage width set out in column III of that item.

  	Column I	Column II	Column III
  Item	Aircraft Category for Fire Fighting	Aircraft Overall Length	Aircraft Maximum Fuselage Width
  1	1	less than 9 m	2 m
  2	2	at least 9 m but less than 12 m	2 m
  3	3	at least 12 m but less than 18 m	3 m
  4	4	at least 18 m but less than 24 m	4 m
  5	5	at least 24 m but less than 28 m	4 m
  6	6	at least 28 m but less than 39 m	5 m
  7	7	at least 39 m but less than 49 m	5 m
  8	8	at least 49 m but less than 61 m	7 m
  9	9	at least 61 m but less than 76 m	7 m
  10	10	at least 76 m	8 m

• (2) Where the fuselage width of an aircraft that has an overall length within the range set out in column II of an item of the table to subsection (1) is greater than the aircraft maximum fuselage width set out in column III of the item, the aircraft category for fire fighting for the aircraft shall be one category higher than the category set out in column I of that item.

Statistics on the Number of Passengers and Aircraft Movements

• 303.06 (1) The operator of an airport or aerodrome shall review, at least once every six months, the statistics in respect of the number of emplaned and deplaned passengers resulting from the Electronic Collection of Air Transportation Statistics project carried out jointly by the Department of Transport and Statistics Canada for the twelve months preceding the date of the review and determine whether the airport or aerodrome qualifies as a designated airport under subsection 303.02(1).

• (2) The operator of a designated airport shall compile monthly statistics setting out the number of movements by commercial passenger-carrying aircraft in each aircraft category for fire fighting.

• (3) The operator of a designated airport shall, at least once every six months, review the monthly statistics for the twelve months preceding the date of the review and determine the three consecutive months with the highest total number of movements by commercial passenger-carrying aircraft in all aircraft categories for fire fighting.

• (4) Where the review shows more than one period of three consecutive months having the same total number of movements by commercial passenger-carrying aircraft, the period to be used for the purposes of section 303.07 is

  • (a) the period involving the highest aircraft category for fire fighting; or

  • (b) where those periods involve the same highest aircraft category for fire fighting, the period involving the greatest number of movements in that category.

• (5) The Minister may, in writing, on application by the operator of a designated airport, authorize the operator to cease providing an aircraft fire-fighting service if the operator demonstrates by means of a risk analysis based on Standard CAN/CSA-Q850-97 entitled Risk Management: Guideline for Decision-makers as amended from time to time that the cessation of the aircraft fire-fighting service will not result in an unacceptable risk to aviation safety.

• (6) If the Minister issues an authorization under subsection (5), the operator of a designated airport shall submit the content of the authorization for publication in the Canada Flight Supplement and in a NOTAM, if the NOTAM is published earlier.

• (7) The operator of a designated airport shall

  • (a) retain the monthly statistics referred to in subsection (2) for five years after the date of the review; and

  • (b) provide them to the Minister at the Minister’s request.

Critical Category for Fire Fighting

• 303.07 (1) The operator of a designated airport shall determine a critical category for fire fighting for the airport based on the number of movements at the airport during the three-month period determined in accordance with subsection 303.06(3) or (4) by commercial passenger-carrying aircraft in the highest and the next highest aircraft categories for fire fighting.

• (2) Where, during the period referred to in subsection (1), the number of movements at the designated airport by aircraft in the highest aircraft category for fire fighting is 700 or more, the critical category for fire fighting is equivalent to that highest aircraft category for fire fighting.

• (3) If, during the period referred to in subsection (1), the number of movements at the designated airport by aircraft in the highest aircraft category for fire fighting is less than 700, the critical category for fire fighting shall be determined by decreasing the highest aircraft category for fire fighting by one category.

• (4) If the operator of a designated airport anticipates a period of one or more hours of movements of aircraft of a lower aircraft category for fire fighting only, the operator may reduce the critical category for fire fighting to the highest aircraft category for fire fighting anticipated for that period if the operator

  • (a) documents the anticipated situation; and

  • (b) notifies the appropriate air traffic control unit or flight service station of the reduced critical category for fire fighting for publication in a NOTAM.

Division II — Extinguishing Agents and Aircraft Fire-Fighting Vehicles

Extinguishing Agents and Equipment

303.08 The operator of a designated airport or of a participating airport or aerodrome shall provide its aircraft fire-fighting service with both the principal and the complementary extinguishing agents and the equipment delivering the agents that meet the requirements set out in the aircraft fire-fighting standards.

Extinguishing Agent and Aircraft Fire-fighting Vehicle Requirements

303.09 Subject to sections 303.10 and 303.11, the operator of a designated airport or of a participating airport or aerodrome the critical category for fire fighting of which is set out in column I of an item of the table to this section shall provide to the aircraft fire-fighting service at the airport or aerodrome the quantities of water and complementary extinguishing agents set out in columns II and III of the item, and the minimum number of aircraft fire-fighting vehicles set out in column IV of that item necessary to provide the total discharge capacity set out in column V of that item.