Athens International Airport - Athens International Airport - FULL SCALE EMERGENCY EXERCISE
PRESS RELEASES
11 NOVEMBER 2010
Athens International Airport - FULL SCALE EMERGENCY EXERCISE

Athens International Airport organises emergency exercises on an annual basis, aiming to test its Emergency Plan and ensure the highest level of safety, readiness, training, and coordination of all parties involved in emergency situations.

The Full Scale Emergency Exercise 2010 “Aircraft Accident at the Airport” was conducted successfully today, Wednesday, November 11 2010, in the context of AIA’s regular emergency exercises, in compliance with the obligations arising from the ICAO regulations.

Besides Athens International Airport S.A., the following entities participated in the exercise:

  • Athens International Airport S.A.
  • Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority / ATCT
  • Hellenic Civil Authority / Airport Authority (AIA)
  • Airport Fire Corps
  • Fire Corps
  • Airport Services of Emergency Medical Care
  • National Centre for Emergency Care (EKAV)
  • Hellenic Police
  • Airline (Olympic Air)
  • Ground Handler (Olympic Handling)
  • Sofitel
 

Exercise Scenario

“According to the scenario, an Olympic Air aircraft performed a scheduled passenger flight from Thessaloniki to Athens.  The aircraft departed having 80 passengers in total on board.  The flight crew after landing received instructions to taxi and park in stand A33.  While the aircraft is taxiing to its gate, a stair truck rams against it from the right side hitting the wing and the fuselage.  The stair truck continues on, uncontrolled and collides with ramp workers and vehicles awaiting for the servicing of the aircraft on the respective GSE staging area.

The collision with the moving aircraft results initially in the extensive fuel leakage and initiates passenger evacuation and the GSE reaching the end of its track results in casualties (4 dead and 3 heavily injured) and a second hazardous material spill.
Airport Fire Corps that promptly responds to the incident has to deal with an extensive fuel spill under the damaged right wing fuel tank and due to the pavement slope the fuel spill goes under the fuselage and reaches the left side of the aircraft.  O1L aircraft door is open with the evacuation slide extended and the passengers evacuate the plane.  In the GSE staging area 7, ramp workers lie on the pavement between ruins while the second spill created by the damaged GSE continues to expand.
From the collision of the GSE with the aircraft and the consequent evacuation 20 people were injured.

According to the scenario, 6 persons were seriously injured and 17 light injured, while 4 ground handling employees died”.

 

- END OF SCENARIO -

In this year emergency exercise, volunteers were Airport Fire Corps, Olympic Air and Olympic Handling personnel.

Photographic material from the exercise
(Exclusively for exercise coverage)

For additional information and photographic material, you may contact AIA’s Press Office.