A full-scale emergency exercise to test for Entebbe International Airport’s readiness in case of an emergency involving a passenger aircraft “veering off the runway and catching fire” has been held at Entebbe International Airport on Friday, November 4, 2022.
The two hour exercise that kicked off at about 11:15am involved simulation of a TIDA Airlines (pseudo name) flight with 250 passengers and crew on board.
The exercise assumed that the flight was cleared to land at Entebbe International Airport’s runway 12/30, but on touch down, the aircraft “veered off the runway and caught fire.”
It was presumed that “30 people lost their lives” and “40 of the survivors were critically injured”, which sparked off an emergency situation involving airport fire-fighters and other rescue agencies that were called in to save lives.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority’s Fire Fighting and Rescue Services personnel put down the “ensuing fire” as medics from various hospitals were summoned and they promptly responded.
Several ambulances and medical staff went to the scene and “rescued” the victims. The “critically injured” were rushed to hospitals in Entebbe and Kampala.
Stakeholders that participated in the exercise include medics from various hospitals, Uganda Airlines, Port
Health, Uganda Peoples Defense Air Force (UPDAF), MUNUSCO, Aviation Police, national security agencies, representatives from the various airlines, ground handling agents, volunteers who acted as injured passengers and UCAA staff, among others.
The exercise is a mandatory requirement for international Airports of countries that are contracting member States of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Uganda last conducted a full-scale emergency exercise in 2019. A partial emergency exercise was last held in December 2020.
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