MULTAN:The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) carried out a full-scale emergency exercise at Multan International Airport (MIAP) on Thursday to bolster airport safety and emergency preparedness.
The exercise was conducted in accordance with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to improve coordination, communication, and resource-sharing among various response agencies.
It began with a fuel firefighting demonstration led by PAA’s specialised fire tenders, followed by a large-scale rescue operation supported by Edhi, Rescue 1122, and PAA’s internal teams. All concerned departments, including Pakistan Army Aviation, local fire brigades, public hospital ambulances, and the Edhi Foundation, participated to test readiness levels for critical situations.
During the exercise, exactly 70 passengers were successfully evacuated after a simulated fire erupted following a symbolic aircraft crash landing, prompting all relevant agencies to rush to the scene. One thousand liters of oil were used to ignite the fire.
Water bowsers from the PAA and Rescue 1122 responded swiftly, extinguishing the blaze within one minute. The entire rescue operation was completed in 15 minutes, which included evacuating injured passengers from the aircraft, shifting them to a triage area, prioritizing injuries as Priority 1, 2, and 3, and dispatching them to hospitals following first aid. Doctors from the PAA and Nishtar Hospital actively managed the medical response.
Chief Fire Officer Aslam Rizvi led the operation efficiently. Officers from the Armed Forces-including Pakistan Army Aviation, PAF Multan Base, and DAAR-alongside Airport Manager Waheed Abbas, SP Cantt Waheed Abbas, Deputy Director Immigration Dr. Khadija Umer, PIA officers, and others witnessed the exercise.
Earlier, briefing participants, Airport Manager Waheed Abbas stated that such exercises are held biennially under international CAA rules to elevate professional expertise and inter-agency coordination. He noted that an aircraft essentially carries heavy fuel reserves capable of causing massive loss of life and property in an emergency, adding that crises cannot be managed single-handedly.
Chief Fire Officer Aslam Rizvi provided a detailed briefing on the exercise, suggesting that the PAA coordinate off-airport drills in the future where the authority could extend support to the civil administration and other organisations. A question-answer session was also held following the conclusion of the exercise.