Subheadline: The exercise simulated an aircraft engine fire during pushback and tested rescue, firefighting, security and medical coordination.
The Central Industrial Security Force conducted a full-scale emergency mock exercise at Kannur International Airport on Friday, simulating an aircraft fire involving the No. 2 engine during pushback for take-off. The exercise was organised to assess emergency preparedness, response time and coordination among agencies operating at the airport.
The drill at ASG Kannur involved the CISF, Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting teams, Kerala Fire & Rescue Services, the state police, the Airports Authority of India, Kannur International Airport Ltd, medical teams and other stakeholders, according to the CISF.
In a post on X, the force said the exercise was designed to assess “emergency preparedness, response time and inter-agency coordination” during a simulated aircraft fire. The scenario focused on an incident occurring while an aircraft was being positioned for departure.
During the exercise, CISF Quick Reaction Team personnel cordoned off and secured the affected area. Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting teams carried out simulated rescue and firefighting operations as part of the response.
The exercise also included casualty triage and the simulated evacuation of seriously injured people for medical treatment. The sequence was intended to test how security, fire response and medical teams would work together during an airport emergency.
The operation was followed by a debriefing chaired by Kannur District Collector Vishnu Raj P. The meeting was attended by Assistant Collector Kannur Swathi P., KIAL Managing Director C. Dinesh Kumar, CISF Senior Commandant and Chief Airport Security Officer Nitin Kumar Tyagi, along with other officers.
A subsequent review session assessed the response of the participating agencies and identified areas for improvement in future emergency response exercises. The source report did not provide details of any actual casualties, disruption to airport operations or changes to flight schedules, and the exercise was described as a simulation.
The mock drill formed part of the airport’s emergency preparedness and coordination activities involving security, firefighting, police, airport management and medical responders. Further improvements identified during the review are expected to inform future emergency response exercises at the airport.
