French aerial work platform manufacturer Haulotte and its local partner Acarlar Makine have added yet another feather to their cap with their involvement in the construction of the world’s largest airport, which is currently nearing completion in Istanbul, Turkey.

A large fleet of Haulotte innovative machines have been deployed on the entire construction site of the Istanbul New Airport, the biggest and the most strategic project in the country.

Acarlar Makine has supported the mega project by supplying more than 300 units of the full range of Haulotte aerial work platforms.

Istanbul New Airport or officially known as İstanbul Yeni Havalimanı – work on which is 80 per cent complete – will have the capacity to host 200 million travellers annually upon completion, making it the world’s largest transportation hub on the largest plot of land ever designated for an airport facility.

It will be the third international airport to be built in Istanbul after Istanbul Atatürk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Located far from the city centre, the airport will be connected by a high-speed railway in late 2019.

The full range of Haulotte products have been playing a role on the mega project, starting with the company’s electric scissor lifts with an 8-m working height to the biggest diesel boom lift with 43 m working height.

“The need for the Haulotte working platforms is increasing day by day in line with the increasing awareness of the risks of working at height, the complexity of the structural work on the airport and the adoption of safe equipment that saves time,” says a spokesman for Haulotte.

“Haulotte diesel articulated and telescopic booms were ideal to access the difficult-to-reach working areas on top of the elevations and to build the complex structure,” he says, citing the benefits offered by Haulotte’s articulated HA41RTJ PRO and HA26RTJ PRO, the telescopic HT43RTJPRO and the diesel scissors H15SX and H18SX, among others.

The spokesman continues: “The articulated HA41RTJ PRO has a maximum outreach of 19.80 m and the best lifting speed in the market of less than 40 seconds; while the newly-launched HA26RTJ PRO has been designed to meet the expectations of operators in terms of performance and the best comfort and safety. Thanks to its perfectly simultaneous movements, this articulating boom quickly extends to full height so that operators save considerable time in reaching the work area.

“The telescopic HT43RTJPRO, which is well known for its rough-terrain capabilities, is providing the best performance and productivity. Since safety is not an option, all the big booms were equipped with a secondary guarding system: The Haulotte Activ’ Shield Bar 2.0 which provides the highest level of safety for aerial platform operators. When there is risk of entrapment, the operator is pushed towards the bar and the machine stops automatically. The large clearance space, the Safety Gap, protects the operator from the entrapment.”

Meanwhile, Haulotte’s diesel scissors H15SX and H18SX are perfectly up to the task with their ergonomic and spacious designed platform, thanks to their double extension which can handle loads of up to 500 kg, he continues. The superior 4WD with a hydraulic differential lock greatly improves the traction on all grounds; Haulotte electric scissors have been used for the electrical installations, false ceiling, fire sprinkle installation and interior décor of the airport.

The Haulotte Compact 14 is, however, the most popular model in this project, with its optimal 350 kg lifting capacity and its ability to be driven at full height (14 m).

Another popular model is the new Optimum 8, AC drive, which can work outdoors in winds up to 45 km/h while maintaining a load capacity of 230 kg.

“The vertical mast Star 10 is also widely used on this worksite. Thanks to its zero tail swing, the operator can rotate the turret entirely while driving or working at height, without risks of accidental contact of the turret with external obstacles or risks of being stuck. Thus, the operator can work in total safety and confidence,” he concludes.