The 2022 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 409: Standard on Aircraft Hangars has incorporated changes proposed and supported by the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), providing aviation businesses the tools to protect against fire without the use of foam fire suppression systems.

The NFPA Standards Council approved and published the 2022 edition containing provisions that create an alternative performance-based design process allowing modification of any part of the NFPA 409 standard; create a risk assessment process that allows businesses to propose alternative fire protection schemes with or without foam​​​​​; exempt Group II hangars that prohibit hazardous activities from foam requirements​​​; and approve the use of ignitable liquid floor drainage systems in lieu of foam systems.

NATA and its members have long advocated that aircraft hangar foam fire suppression requirements within the previous versions of the standard do not reflect the reality of the current risk of fuel fires, nor do they consider the public and private liability and expense of environmentally hazardous clean-up after accidental system discharges.

“The 2022 NFPA 409 standard better reflects the current operating environment, which has evolved significantly since its original writing in 1966. This breakthrough represents another example of NATA and its members uniting to leverage the broad support of industry experience and expertise to assist in aligning the new standard with the actual risk of fire,” says NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts.

The NFPA 409: Standard on Aircraft Hangars is the primary standard for hangar fire protection and is referenced by the international building code; the international fire code; and state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations. Prior to this revision, NFPA 409 required most modern general aviation hangars to have automatic foam fire suppression systems installed.