NFPA Journal - Summer 2024 - 63

NFPA 418
The 2024 edition of NFPA's standard
on heliports and vertiports addresses
new aircraft technology
BY KEVIN CARR
I
s it in print? That was the question posed to me
by Rex Alexander, chair of the Technical Committee
on Helicopter Facilities, at the start of the new
year. He was anxiously awaiting the release of the
2024 edition of NFPA 418, Standard for Heliports
and Vertiports. The finished document, released in
January, marked an important reminder of the surge
in public interest on this topic-a record number of
public inputs and public comments were received for
this latest iteration of the standard-and of the significant
increase in technical committee membership
and the collaborative nature with which the revision
cycle was processed. The document's release brought
both a palpable excitement to share the fruits of this
labor with others, as well as a determination to begin
the next revision cycle and realize even more of the
standard's promise.
Traditionally, NFPA 418 has been utilized as a standard
that applies to landing facilities and landing
sites for helicopters. First published in the mid-1960s,
the document has been the go-to resource for the
protection of these specialized areas and is adopted
by jurisdictions in both the United States and abroad.
However, like other aspects of our society, this portion
of the aviation industry is undergoing notable change,
including a reimagining of landing arrangements and
the emergence of new aircraft technologies, developments
that are reflected in the latest NFPA 418.
While traditional helipads are still actively utilized
today, new structures such heliports and vertiports are
launching new-generation aircraft in new ways in both
urban and rural areas. Aircraft have moved beyond
traditional fossil fuel-based helicopters to include the
pending arrival of sleek electric vertical takeoff and
landing (eVTOL) vehicles. These designs blend futuristic
concepts with modern technological ingenuity
and are often powered by " clean " technologies such as
batteries, hydrogen, and other alternative fuels.
Given this backdrop, the 2024 edition of NFPA 418
was crafted to provide several key updates that begin
to address the protection of these evolving facilities,
including new chapters on alternative approaches and
performance-based design. Written in prescriptive
language and providing specific requirements, these
chapters allow for the authority having jurisdiction
to permit an evaluation of the fire risks and hazards
found on a specific site. A key consideration for the use
of these alternatives is the presence of multiple types
of aircraft at a facility. " Change is coming, " Alexander
said. " We are asking more of landing facilities than at
any point in the past. With all the different types of
aircraft that could take off or land on any given day,
having alternative approaches with clearly established
criteria helps to fill in any prescriptive gaps. "
Another important change is the creation of new
requirements for fueling and charging systems. The
technical committee continued to provide references
to traditional fueling mainstays, such as NFPA 407,
Standard for Aircraft Fuel Servicing, while also
including references to emerging technology standards
such as NFPA 2, Hydrogen Technologies Code;
NFPA 70®
, National Electrical Code®
; and NFPA 855,
Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy
Storage Systems. " Protecting the landing sites in
accordance with these established NFPA codes and
standards is critical to ensuring that the latest thinking
on proper safeguards is provided, " said Alexander.
For additional guidance, the committee added two
new annexes on electric and hydrogen aircraft that
explore these topics in greater detail.
Finally, changes to fire protection requirements
for rooftop landing facilities have been updated to
reflect a balance between new and existing considerations.
New to the 2024 edition are requirements
pertaining to deck-integrated firefighting systems,
which are popular abroad. These systems use a series
of flush-mounted nozzles within the deck of landing
pad to protect the structure. The committee also
provided updated requirements for more traditional
fixed foam-based fire protection, including changes
to critical fire area, a term used in NFPA 418 that
refers to the application area of the landing pad's fire
protection systems. Finally, the committee included
reserved sections in the 2024 edition that serve as
placeholders for additional consideration during the
next revision cycle.
The 2024 edition of NFPA 418 is available via
NFPA LiNK®
Code Subscription Service™
(nfpa.org/link), the NFPA National Fire
(nfpa.org/nfcss), and in
print via nfpa.org/catalog. Visit the NFPA 418 document
information page (nfpa.org/418) for news, to
subscribe for alerts, and for information on when
public input opens for the next edition.
KEVIN CARR is NFPA staff liaison for the Helicopter Facilities
(HHH-AAA) Technical Committee, which has oversight of NFPA 418.
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NFPA Journal - Summer 2024

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