CTIF Commission “Rescue and Fire Fighting at Airports” annual meeting 2026 in Helsinki
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CTIF Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Commission – Helsinki Meeting 2026
The annual meeting of the CTIF "Rescue and Fire Fighting at Airports" Commission took place at Helsinki Airport, Finland, from 7 to 9 September 2026. The meeting brought together airport rescue and firefighting experts from several European countries to exchange experiences, discuss current challenges and share best practices.
Main topics and presentations
The meeting covered a wide range of operational, technical and regulatory topics, including:
- ARFF Response Training Working Group
- Artificial Intelligence for ARFF
- Water, Wetlands and Rescue Preparedness
- EASA Briefing on RFFS
- Competency Assessment for ARFF
- Lithium-Ion Batteries – Fire Prevention
- Disabled Aircraft Recovery Plan
- Interim Report of Working Groups – Extinguishing Agent Quantities
- F-16 Emergency Belly Landing
Discussions focused particularly on operational readiness, safe and effective training, new technologies, firefighting tactics and the challenges associated with modern aircraft and extinguishing agents.
Several companies also presented their latest developments and solutions for airport rescue and firefighting.
CTIF Officer's Cross
Veli-Matti Sääskilahti, who served as Chairman of the Commission for several years and stepped down from the Board and the Commission in 2025, attended the meeting as a guest.
Manfred Sommerer thanked him for his longstanding commitment and valuable contributions to the Commission and its Board, and awarded Veli-Matti Sääskilahti the CTIF Officer's Cross in recognition of his service.
Next Meeting – Malta 2027
The next face-to-face meeting of the Commission will take place from 12 to 14 May 2027 at Malta International Airport.
The Commission thanks the Maltese participants for their kind offer to host the meeting. Further details will be communicated in due course.
