Pune Airport conducted a bomb threat mock drill on Saturday to test emergency preparedness, inter-agency coordination and response procedures across its terminal and cargo areas. The exercise was organised by the Airports Authority of India and Pune Airport in coordination with the Central Industrial Security Force and other agencies under the Bomb Threat Contingency Plan, Pune Airport Director Santosh Dhoke said.
The exercise began with a tabletop session at 11 am at the conference hall of the AAI Administrative Building. Officials discussed simulated threat scenarios, the responsibilities of participating agencies and communication protocols to be followed during a security emergency. A live-response mock drill was then conducted at the terminal building at 11.30 am.
Under the simulated scenario, an unidentified person informed an IndiGo manager in Pune about an unattended bag suspected to contain a dummy improvised explosive device in the check-in area. The manager alerted the CISF Security Operational Control Room, which activated the Quick Reaction Team and informed the concerned duty posts.
Passengers, airport staff and concessionaires in the affected area were evacuated to a designated safe location. Security personnel covered the suspect bag with a blast inhibitor and cordoned off the surrounding area before carrying out a series of checks. These included an inspection by the Dog Squad, an Explosive Vapour Detector, a Non-Linear Junction Detector, an electronic stethoscope and a Handheld Real Time Viewing System.
After the prescribed checks, the simulated presence of an improvised explosive device was confirmed. A Bomb Threat Assessment Committee meeting was then convened, after which the situation was declared a specific threat under the exercise. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad handled the suspect bag using a telescopic manipulator and placed it inside a Suspect Luggage Containment Vessel.
Following the simulated Render Safe Procedure, the bag was moved to the designated Safe Disposal Area, also known as the cooling pit, for further action. A separate dummy IED was placed in the cargo area near India Post as part of the exercise. The State Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad detected the device in the simulated scenario, testing the response capability in an operational zone beyond the passenger terminal.
Representatives from the CISF, Indian Air Force, Pune Police, State Disaster Response Force, Fire Services, Customs, Immigration, health authorities, airlines and other airport stakeholders participated in the drill. The exercise was intended to evaluate the operational readiness of participating agencies, clarify their roles and assess communication and coordination across the airport premises.
Dhoke said such mock exercises form an integral part of airport emergency preparedness. They allow agencies to test response procedures, identify coordination gaps and strengthen their ability to respond to potential security contingencies. The exercise was conducted as a simulation and did not involve an actual bomb threat.
