NAIA to hold aircraft crash response drill November

MANILA, Philippines — To meet global aviation safety and security standards, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will stage next month a full-scale aircraft crash response drill.

The activity will feature a simulation, complete with a burning crashed plane, to make sure that all first responders at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) are abreast with the procedure and their tasks under the aerodrome emergency plan.

MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said the exercise, to be held on November 12, would be in line with safety and security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to the ultimate benefit of the riding public.

“As an international airport, the NAIA continues to meet global standards of safety and security,” Honrado assured.

He pointed out, “This crash exercise will showcase our competence in emergency response and, at the same time, allow us to assess how we can further develop our procedures.”

The MIAA general manager said that the ICAO Annex 14 requires all airports worldwide to each have an aerodrome emergency plan covering coordination and actions to be undertaken by all personnel in an emergency situation.

In the November 12 full-scale crash exercise, which will be held in the NAIA compound, a crashed plane will be set up near primary runway 06/24.

The scenario, he said, would involve an aircraft crashing because of engine malfunction minutes after taking off from secondary runway 13/31. The drill was crafted in a tabletop exercise held last week by the MIAA with airline representatives, officials of the Philippine Air Force, Parañaque City and Pasay City government personnel, and hospital staff.

Honrado pointed out that the aircraft crash simulation would test the response of all NAIA fire, medical, rescue, and security personnel and check the efficiency of the communication system for emergency responders.  SFM