Cape Town – Cape Town International Airport tested its emergency readiness during a drill in which a simulation of an aircraft crashing into a helicopter was carried out.
The exercise is conducted every second year in line with South African aviation legislation as defined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Numerous role-players took part in the drill, which did not affect the normal operations of the airport.
Included in the exercise were the National Sea Rescue Institute, Maritime Search and Rescue, the city’s Disaster Risk Management and Fire and Rescue Services, the army, emergency medical services, the police and traffic services.
Airport spokesperson Deidre Davids said the simulation involved a plane carrying 94 passengers and a helicopter carrying nine on board.
The ground exercise is carried out as if the plane had made an emergency landing at sea, while the helicopter would have crash- landed at the airport itself.
“This is a full-scale emergency exercise designed to thoroughly test emergency procedures and responses. It includes all the participants who would be called upon in the event of a major aircraft incident at the airport,” she said.
The main objective of the exercise is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Aerodrome Emergency Management Plan.
The City’s Disaster Risk Management’s Charlotte Powell said: “This exercise demonstrates the commitment by the city’s Disaster Risk Management Centre, airlines, government departments and other concerned parties in maintaining a high level of contingency preparedness and safety. Key to the exercise is the opportunity to proactively identify challenges in airport emergency planning and to enhance the emergency preparedness and responses of all participating agencies.”