Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) held its annual aircraft crash and rescue exercise on March 3 at the Centre Runway to test the airport’s ability to handle a scenario involving an aircraft incident.
More than 1,000 representatives from approximately 20 organizations and government departments joined the exercise, with Greater Bay Airlines as the participating airline. Over 400 volunteers role-played as passengers and families of the affected passengers.
The exercise started at around 2:15am local time when a simulated departure flight with 120 passengers aborted take-off on the Center Runway, due to an urgent report from the cabin crew regarding smoke emitting from a powerbank located under a passenger’s seat. The simulated aircraft’s tire burst when it was braking and it veered off the runway. Its landing gear collapsed and then caught fire. Air Traffic Control Tower personnel immediately activated the crash alarm. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) activated the Airport Emergency Center to facilitate coordination and communication among various government departments, airport communities and organizations. Emergency services, including the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), promptly arrived at the incident site to carry out firefighting and rescue, render medical care, convey the casualties and provide other support.
The handling of fatalities and injured persons was simulated. The injured persons were conveyed to five public hospitals, while those uninjured were transferred to the Passenger Reception Center at the airport. After immigration and customs clearance, the uninjured passengers were received at the Family Reception Center set up at the airport for the exercise. Humanitarian assistance and psychological support services were offered by participating non-governmental organizations.
A simulated joint press conference was held to provide updates on the incident and rescue operations. Approximately 30 students from six local universities role-played as reporters. The exercise stood down at 6:00am.
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