An aircraft crash landing emergency exercise was under way on Tuesday evening to test the level of preparedness of response teams at the airport.

People at the airport were assured that there was nothing to be alarmed about.  

Through this full-scale exercise, Malta International Airport is testing its recently amended Airport Emergency Response Plan (AERP), in line with the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) regulatory obligations. The exercise also served to determine the effectiveness of MIA’s command and control system for managing incidents and to test the communications systems and emergency resources in place.

The simulated accident scenario involves a B737-800 Medina Air aircraft travelling from Genoa with 74 passengers and six crew members on board. While flying over Sicily, the crew report major hydraulic problems to Air Traffic Control and a full emergency was declared, triggering the Emergency Response Plan. A hard landing at MLA causes the wheels to collapse and the aircraft to veer off the runway, eventually coming to a standstill on the taxiway. As a result,a number of passengers suffer critical injuries and a number of fatalities are reported. 

The exercise was organised by Malta International Airport in collaboration with  the Armed Forces of Malta, the Civil Protection Department, Mater Dei Hospital, the Malta Police and airline representatives.

It involved a group of actors and volunteers participating as affected passengers, allowing first responders to practice important processes such as triage, treatment and transportation.

Malta International Airport carries out emergency exercises on different levels on a regular basis, in order to keep improving its Airport Emergency Response Plan and response capabilities.

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