Commercial flights at Pease grounded after National Guard fire trucks break down

All commercial flights out of Portsmouth International Airport at Pease were grounded Thursday afternoon due to a lack of working fire equipment.

Around 4 p.m., the airport’s last remaining functional fire truck was taken offline for unscheduled maintenance. Three other New Hampshire Air National Guard fire trucks were already offline for maintenance, and a second loaner vehicle failed earlier in the week.

The FAA doesn’t permit takeoffs or arrivals of large planes without standby fire equipment.

“Since yesterday, the NH Air National Guard has been actively seeking a replacement truck for the runway, which is used by Pease International Airport and the 157th Air Refueling Wing,” the National Guard said in a statement Friday. “We have reached out to installations across New England. No update on time frame.”

Two commercial flights operated by Allegiant Air, the only commercial carrier at Portsmouth International, as well as two military training flights, were canceled Thursday. It isn’t clear how many scheduled flights were impacted Friday.

“Portsmouth International Airport is working closely with its scheduled airlines to accommodate affected travelers,” the airport said in a statement. “Passengers who were scheduled to travel on Allegiant Flights are encouraged to contact Allegiant Air's customer service for further assistance.”

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