Mangaluru International Airport, which has a tabletop runway, simulated an air crash on Tuesday as part of the ‘Mangalam – Tabletop Exercise 2024’ to find and address any weaknesses in the airport’s readiness to manage actual emergencies.
According to the officials, the November full-scale aerodrome emergency exercise (FSAEE) is a precursor to the Mangalam – Tabletop Exercise 2024.
In accordance with directives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the mandates of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which oversees the civil aviation industry, the airport frequently carries out various exercises. The officials claimed that the drill recreated an air crash scenario on airport property, with several agencies playing out their roles in accordance with a likely course of events.
Why Tabletop Exercise?
A tabletop runway is one that is located on the top of a plateau or hill with one or both ends ending in a cliff. Because of its location, the airport notably performs the FSAEE every year, which is more often than the required frequency of once every two years.
When Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai overshot the tabletop runway at Mangalore airport and plummeted into the ravine below, on May 22, 2010, 158 of the 166 passengers died.
To assess how prepared the relevant authorities were to manage emergency scenarios, the script incorporated a number of unexpected developments. The purpose of these drills is to find and fix any weaknesses in the airport’s overall emergency preparation.
The Aerodrome Emergency Response Plan will benefit from the critical input that was supplied by independent observers who were expressly selected for the exercise. The airport representative emphasised the value of these drills in assisting different agencies in comprehending their respective tasks and duties in the event of a real emergency.
(with PTI inputs)
