Kannur International Airport conducted a full-scale emergency mock exercise on Friday, simulating an aircraft fire involving the No. 2 engine during pushback for take-off to assess emergency preparedness, response time and coordination among agencies responsible for airport safety and emergency response.
The exercise at ASG Kannur involved the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) teams, Kerala Fire & Rescue Services, the state police, the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL), medical teams and other stakeholders, according to the CISF.
In a post on X, the CISF said the exercise was designed to assess “emergency preparedness, response time and inter-agency coordination”. The simulated scenario involved an aircraft fire during the pushback phase before take-off, requiring security, firefighting, rescue, medical and airport authorities to respond in coordination.
During the drill, CISF Quick Reaction Team personnel cordoned off and secured the affected area. ARFF teams carried out simulated rescue and firefighting operations, while casualties were triaged as part of the exercise. Those identified as seriously injured in the simulation were evacuated for medical treatment.
The exercise tested the sequence of response across agencies operating within and around the airport. Security personnel were responsible for securing the simulated incident area, while firefighting and rescue teams carried out emergency operations. Medical teams handled the simulated casualties and evacuation procedures.
The exercise was followed by a debriefing chaired by Kannur District Collector Vishnu Raj P. Assistant Collector Swathi P., KIAL Managing Director C. Dinesh Kumar, CISF Senior Commandant and Chief Airport Security Officer Nitin Kumar Tyagi and other officers were present during the review.
A subsequent review session assessed the response of the participating agencies and identified areas for improvement in future emergency response exercises. The authorities did not report an actual aircraft incident or real casualties in connection with the drill.
The mock exercise formed part of the airport’s preparedness and coordination activities involving security, emergency services, airport operators and medical responders. Further improvements identified during the review are expected to inform future emergency response exercises at Kannur International Airport.
