General Directorate of State Airports Authority (DHMI) Esenboğa Airport General Directorate, to increase the level of preparedness against aircraft fire conducted a comprehensive exercise. This exercise aims to develop both the response skills of personnel and to ensure the safety of life and property in a possible emergency. Here are the details of this important exercise and its importance in terms of international aviation security.
Exercise Scenario: Realistic and Effective
The scenario implemented in the exercise simulated a crisis situation that was very close to reality:
- According to the scenario, which made the Istanbul-Ankara trip Flight 1261 is an A321 type passenger plane, crashed due to a fire that broke out in the engines and under the fuselage during landing.
- on the plane 160 passengers and 7 crew was located.
- “Plane crash” alarm after the granting of Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) teams took action quickly.
Successful Response of ARFF Teams
During the exercise, ARFF teams successfully completed the following steps in accordance with established procedures:
- Rapid Response: Teams, after the alarm Reaching the scene within 3 minutes intervened in the fire.
- Extinguishing the Fire: The flames in the aircraft engines and fuselage were brought under control in a short time.
- External Input: After the crew was unable to open the doors from the inside, the teams entered the aircraft from the outside and started the evacuation.
- Rescue of the Wounded: Injured passengers and crew were carried to ambulances on stretchers and transferred to hospitals.
- Restoration of Runway Use: After the fire cooling process, the aircraft was towed to a safe area and the runway was opened to traffic.
The Importance of Exercises: Lessons Learned from the Real Incident in Antalya
A real plane fire incident that recently occurred at Antalya Airport once again demonstrated how important such drills are:
- 24 in NovemberA passenger plane that landed at Antalya Airport and was on a Russia-Antalya flight escaped great danger due to a fire that broke out during landing.
- DHMİ teams are responding to the fire by intervening in seconds on the plane Saved the lives of 89 passengers and 6 crew members.
- The fire Taken under control within 2 minutes, showed how vitally important the exercises are.
Turkey's Role in International Aviation Security
Turkey has an important place in international aviation security. These exercises carried out by DHMİ contribute to the development of response capacities that are not only local but also in line with global standards. The exercise at Esenboğa Airport conveys the following messages in this context:
- Rapid Response Ability: An operational approach that minimizes critical time in emergency situations is demonstrated.
- Educated Personnel and Technological Infrastructure: Both the level of training of the teams and the modernity of the tools and equipment used increase the effectiveness of the interventions.
- Importance Given to Passenger Safety: The drills are a concrete demonstration of the goal of keeping passenger safety at the highest level.
Continuous Improvement of Security
The aircraft fire drill held at Esenboğa Airport once again demonstrated DHMİ's commitment to security and crisis management. Such practices are not just drills, but are of critical importance in saving lives in real events.
Saving the lives of 95 people in Antalya with the experience gained from the exercises demonstrates Turkey's competence in this area and its success in reaching world standards. DHMİ's efforts in this direction both increase passenger safety and bring Turkey to a leading position in international aviation security.
