GVK Mumbai International Airport Limited organizes a Mock Exercise: Aircraft Accident Off the Airport
GVK Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) the company managing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) organized a Mock Exercise: Aircraft Accident Off the Airport, 15 September 2019 in the approach path of the of runway 09-27 at SNDT woman’s University. CSMIA along with its key stakeholders like the Municipal Corporation Greater Mumbai (MCGM), State Disaster Management Authority, Mumbai Fire Brigade, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Mumbai Police, Hospitals, Ambulance Services etc. actively participated in the exercise. The Mock Exercise was jointly organized by MIAL in coordination with MCGM, Go Air as affected Airlines and SNDT woman’s University, Juhu – Mumbai. The mock exercise was conducted by simulating a situation where a domestic passenger aircraft in the process of landing just few minutes away from the airport descended and crashed at the SNDT University ground due to an engine failure. Starting the Mock Exercise: Aircraft Accident Off the Airport at 10:00 hrs., it concluded at approximately 13:00 hrs.
Commencing of the mock exercise began when the domestic aircraft (ABC Airline A320) carrying 150 passengers and crew onboard from Ahmadabad to Mumbai rapidly descended and hit the ground thereby resulting into a massive fire outbreak before reaching the airport. The passenger cum freighter aircraft was also carrying cargo which included some dangerous goods that further aggravated the fire. The incident resulted into 75 passenger fatality and 75 injuries. The Exercise was participated by key emergency responders amounting to around 500 participants. Supporting the MCGM and other officials, various agencies of the airport and airlines were deployed as observers to critically evaluate the response by various agencies to combat such emergencies in real time. To make the mock exercise realistic, a dummy aircraft was created and partially set on fire to execute the magnitude of the situation. Similarly, the local police were actively involved for panchnama of ‘deceased’ passengers allowing for movement of the deceased to Cooper Hospital for postmortem procedure. Furthermore, arrangements were made for all rescued passengers to reunite with their family and friends after this traumatic incident.
Commenting on this activity, MIAL spokesperson said, “This is the first time an airport of this stature is conducting an emergency response exercise outside the premises of the airport and along with all its other stakeholders. Such exercises help us to be prepared for any situation, 24/7. The objective of conducting this real-time simulated mock exercise is to check the efficiency of procedures and the responding personnel to minimize the effects of a real emergency while saving lives, property, environment without impacting the regular functioning of the day-to-day lives of Mumbaikars, especially our patrons.”
Safety is at the helm of all activities carried out at GVK MIAL. Hence, mock exercises are carried out on regular intervals to check the preparedness of all stakeholder in case any eventualities. Recently, in the month of April 2019, MIAL successfully conducted a Full-Scale Aerodrome Emergency Exercise in the late evening hours, first time in history, to check the preparedness of its own and all stakeholders. Through these real time mock exercises, it becomes important and integral for servicing bodies like MIAL to work towards the overall betterment of the passengers.
