CAAP Press Release
29 May 2024
Laguindingan- The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines at Laguindingan Airport has taken a significant measure to enhance the safety and preparedness of both its passengers and personnel in potential emergencies through a full-scale emergency exercise conducted yesterday, May 28.
The exercise engaged approximately 36 agencies, including the Office of Civil Defense-10, Disaster Reduction and Risk Offices of various LGUs, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, airlines, and hospitals.
During the exercise, a mock-up aircraft caught on fire due to a crash-landing scenario at Laguindingan Airport.
Initially, a Pilot-in-Command declared an emergency alert due to loss of vertical control and notified Laguindingan Air Traffic Control to request a priority landing.
Following this, Laguindingan Air Traffic Control Tower informed the Airport Manager and prompted the latter to activate the Incident Management Team and the Emergency Operations Center.
Upon crash-landing on the left side of the runway, the emergency alert is elevated to Emergency Code 1 prompting to call for all immediate assistance from emergency resource provider partners and response clusters.
The aircraft on fire and the passengers on board simulated wreckage, injuries, and wounds requiring immediate fire suppression and rescue.
CAAP Area Manager X Engr. Job De Jesus said, “Today’s aircraft emergency full-scale exercise at Laguindingan Airport has demonstrated our preparedness and taken a crucial step in ensuring that we are fully equipped to handle emergencies in our current situation. It is important to emphasize that the impact of this exercise on our ability to rescue everyone cannot be overstated.”
The involvement of multiple agencies provided essential resources and expertise, enhancing the effectiveness of the exercise and ultimately improving the airport’s emergency response capabilities.
###