NATA Publishes Step-by-Step Guide on Hangar Foam Suppression Requirements

Hangar owners and operators have a new resource for guidance on recently updated hangar foam suppression system requirements, options, and alternatives. The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) released Aircraft Hangar Fire Protection Guidance in June.

The Association said the 2022 edition of NFPA 409: Standard on Aircraft Hangars, which was published in October 2021, includes new requirements for certain existing hangars and new hangar construction. The revision introduced a risk-based process for determining/defining hangar fire protection requirements but raised questions about the applicability of those requirements.

Not all hangars are subject to foam requirements of NFPA 409. Following the new risk-based approach to determining foam requirements, NATA and other industry members supported a revision to exempt Group II hangars where hazardous operations are not performed. Group II are hangars with a door height of 28 feet or less and hangar bay typically 12,000–40,000 square feet.

Foam is also not typically required of Group III hangars, which have a door height of 28 feet or less and hangar bay typically less than 12,000 square feet but may be up to 30,000 square feet.

However, the applicability of foam suppression requirements is not always clear.

“As NATA-supported revisions in the 2022 edition of NFPA 409 will take time to align with current building codes, our Aircraft Hangar Fire Protection Guidance provides the industry with a better understanding of the applicability of the codes now in effect and clear, immediate pathways toward eliminating foam from aircraft hangars,” said NATA Managing Director of Industry & Regulatory Affairs Megan Eisenstein.

NATA’s new step-by-step flowchart guides various options to achieve code compliance relative to fire suppression systems based on the International Building Code® (IBC), 2021 edition; International Fire Code® (IFC), 2021 edition; and NFPA 409, 2016 edition. NATA notes the revised NFPA 409 will not be included in the IBC or IFC until the 2024 edition.

The flowchart guides users regarding the applicability of NFPA, IBC, and IFC requirements to their facility by determining the need for foam suppression. If foam suppression is required, the guide offers suggestions for pursuing an Alternative Means and Methods Request or changing hangar layouts to minimize potential hangar fire areas and, therefore, the areas subject to foam suppression.

Finally, an FAQ section addresses industry top questions.