The primary runway of the city airport was shut for over four hours on Friday afternoon due to a mock drill session. A few flights are said to have been affected by the exercise, though airport officials denied any major delays.
The primary runway of the city airport was shut for over four hours on Friday afternoon due to a mock drill session. A few flights are said to have been affected by the exercise, though airport officials denied any major delays.
Why was the drill conducted?
The drill comes in the backdrop of evacuation of 59 passengers earlier this week after a Jet Airways plane was stuck at the runway of Khajuraho airport because of problem in the landing gear.
Who all were a part of it?
According to airport officials, the mock drill exercise started at 11.02am and lasted till 2.09pm. A Jet Airways aircraft was used for it; representatives from other airlines acted as observers. Several agencies, including the local police, CISF, DGCA, immigration, customs, fire department and hospitals, were also involved in the session.
How did it go?
As per the plan, the aircraft's pilot called up the ATC asking for permission to land as he suspected hydraulic failure in the engine. However, during landing, communication between them disconnected and the plane skid off the runway. Soon, an Emergency Response Cell (ERC) swung into action, sending an SMS alert to all authorities concerned regarding the incident. At stake were the 75 on board. The rescue mission started and ended only after evacuation of all passengers and crew members on board.
Witnesses said the passengers and crew members were evacuated by a team of CISF personnel, airport operator, doctors and paramedical staff from various hospitals. "Those with 'serious' injuries were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment, while others were taken to a safer area of the airport and given first-aid and follow-up treatment," said an airport official.
A mock media briefing and information cell to the relatives/friends of the passengers was also organised.
The aircraft was finally ordered to be removed from the side, bringing an end to the entire exercise, officials added.
What observations were made at the end?
Towards the end, the observers found certain shortcomings in the airport, such as absence of buggies for ferrying passengers to the terminal and that of immigration officials near the accident spot. All authorities concerned took note of the observations, assuring that they would be addressed soon, sources said.
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