E-Paper
Simulated crash-landing mock drill at Chandigarh airport
This first-of-its-kind coordinated drill involved the Indian Air Force (IAF), Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Mohali and Chandigarh Police, Civil Defence, and fire departments from Mohali, Chandigarh, and the Air Force, among others
A full-scale emergency mock drill simulating a mid-air engine fire followed by a crash landing was conducted at the Chandigarh International Airport on Sunday. The exercise, held between 9.40 am and 12 noon, was aimed at testing and enhancing the preparedness of multiple agencies in handling aviation emergencies.
This first-of-its-kind coordinated drill involved the Indian Air Force (IAF), Chandigarh International Airport Limited (CHIAL), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Mohali and Chandigarh Police, Civil Defence, and fire departments from Mohali, Chandigarh, and the Air Force, among others.
The drill commenced with a distress call to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) from a dummy airline reporting an engine fire in mid-air and requesting an emergency landing. As part of the simulation, a bus carrying around 26 officials posing as passengers was stationed at the threshold of the runway to replicate the aftermath of a crash landing. Emergency response teams were immediately mobilised for rescue and relief operations.
Ajay Kumar, CEO of CHIAL, said, “The full-scale emergency mock drill was successfully executed under the control of IAF Chandigarh and in coordination with CHIAL and other stakeholders. IAF, CISF, airlines, tricity administration, police, fire departments, hospitals, medical teams, and disaster management personnel participated. IAF and CHIAL remain committed to ensuring the safety and rescue of passengers under all circumstances.”
The timing of the drill was deliberately chosen as no commercial flights operate at the airport during that window on Sundays, ensuring smooth execution without disruption to airport operations.
Meanwhile, unverified social media posts falsely claimed that a real plane crash had occurred at the airport, leading to a brief panic. These messages, comparing it to a recent incident in Ahmedabad, were quickly removed once it was confirmed that the activity was part of a planned mock drill.
