Kolkata: A full-scale emergency drill simulating an aircraft crash was conducted at Kolkata airport on Monday afternoon to assess the preparedness and coordination of multiple agencies in managing aviation disasters.In the simulated scenario, an incoming Air India aircraft with engine failure landed in heavy rain, skidded off the runway and caught fire outside the airport perimeter. Though the situation was different from the Air India accident in Ahmedabad, the simulated emergency was meant to test the airport’s response and preparedness. No actual aircraft was used. AAI’s fire services reached the incident site within the mandated response time and successfully conducted rescue and containment operations. Triage teams, ambulances, and crash rescue vehicles were quickly mobilised, along with bomb disposal squads. The drill was part of regulatory requirements under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) guidelines. All key AAI departments, including Air Traffic Control (ATC), Airport Fire Services, and Operations, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indian Coast Guard, medical teams, state police, fire services, and NGOs such as Saint John’s Ambulance, participated in the exercise.The initial moments of the exercise caused confusion among locals, as smoke billowing from the airport, siren-blaring fire engines dashing to the spot, and injured passengers being stretchered off appeared real. Ambulances also rushed to two hospitals — ILS and Charnock — to check the commute time. Airport officials later confirmed that the public reaction was an expected element of the simulation designed to test emergency responses under realistic conditions.Officials said a full-scale emergency exercise is generally conducted once every two years, and a partial emergency exercise is conducted once a year. According to airport sources, this drill was expedited following the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash in which 270 persons died. “A de-briefing session was held by the airport director, along with CASO, RD BCAS, and DD DGCA, during which feedback was given to all the participants. The session emphasised the importance of continuous improvement and maintaining high standards of emergency preparedness,” said Kolkata airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria.
