EZY @ Cologne/Bonn
 

Hi all,

I have travelled twice with easyJet to Cologne/Bonn now and on both occasions the aircraft has been followed in from the runway by a fire engine. Does anyone know why this is? Last night I watched the EMA and LGW flights arrive within minutes of each other and both were followed by fire engines. The fire engines then parked up at the nose of the aircraft and remained there for most of the turnaround. This didn't seem to be happening with any other airlines/flights :confused:

It might be to facilitate the boarding of passengers whilst the aircraft is being refuelled. Some airports will allow refuelling and boarding at the same time ONLY IF the local fireservice is in attendance.
I can't remember off hand if CGN is one of those airports, but I personally wouldnt be too concerned unless the doors opened and the slides were inflated and people started coming out rapidly :}

Are sure it was a fire engine and not the marshallers? At a number of German airports a van meets aircraft at the edge of the apron, leads them to their parking spot, then the guy with table tennis bats (or torches at night) jumps out to wave them onto stand. From memory the van is often yellow/black, but don't know if this is true of Cologne.

I've seen the fire crews used for traffic controll when non Schengen arrivals unload at the new bit of the terminal as the passengers have to walk to a side entrance rather than use the jetbridge.

It was definitely a fire engine - it had a large water cannon on the top! No firemen every got out of the engine.

Thanks for your thoughts

...at this time of year I recon it must be the de-icing rig - they are quick in Cologne!

Last time I went it was July though!

You sure it was a fire engine and not some kind of preemptive crowd control in case your plane would turn out to be one of them LoCo "Stag & Hen Bombers"?
:E