The drill was a tough test for the emergency capabilities and rescue services at BIA, putting the comprehensive Airport Emergency Plan to its paces. The exercise was well organized by Bahrain Airport Company and coordinated by all agencies concerned with any aircraft accident that could take place.
The emergency scenario was that of a dummy aircraft that had crash landed South East of the runway as a result of a hydraulic failure and fire on board the aircraft on touchdown. Actors played the role of passengers, some unscathed, whilst others were injured and deceased. The accident scenario activated a full scale emergency that involved a coordinated effort to tackle the situation from Bahrain Airport Company, the Civil Aviation Affairs, Health, Interior, Defense and Information Ministries, plus several other organizations, including the National Guard, Bahrain Airport Services, Gulf Air and DHL.
The public were informed well in advance so as not to be concerned about the situation and steps were taken to ensure BIA’s operations, aircraft and passenger’s movement were not affected.
“The exercise plays a major role in identifying both our strengths and weaknesses in our emergency planning and will help us take actions that will further assist in making BIA a safer and more secure Airport operating with International Standards,” Mohamed Yousif AlBinfalah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company, said.
Organized by Bahrain Airport Company for the second time, this exercise reaffirms the commitment of the Airport’s operators, Partners and the Government authorities’ to be well prepared to handle any accidents. It also highlighted the strong levels of coordination and cooperation amongst all those involved to launch a strong and effective team effort.
After the Exercise media were briefed of the event results and benefits in a press conference lead by Mohamed Yousif Albinfalah CEO of BAC, Mohamed Thamir Al Kaabi VP Airport Operations and Tareq Ahmed Al Shaikh Manager Rescue and Fire Fighting Services at the Movenpick hotel directly after the exercise.
Such exercises are held every two years as per the requirements of Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to test and practice the emergency plan that have been drawn up for the Airport.