Several ambulances were moving in all directions, their high pitched sirens blaring, as confused bystanders watched without a clue as to what was happening. This was the scene at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday.

Authorities at the airport conducted a “mock” exercise this morning to check their own preparedness in case of a crash landing. “It is an annual exercise for big airports to check the coordination between different agencies in case of a crisis like a crash landing,” a senior official of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) said.

The official said all runways were made non-operational at the time of the drill and there were no landings or take-offs between 11:30 am and 12:30 pm.

The essential purpose of the drill was to gauge the amount of time various agencies would take in responding to the crisis. The agencies involved in the exercise included airport operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, air traffic control, airlines, the CISF, Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services and various hospitals.

The exercise covered a scenario involving an incoming flight fictitiously named ‘Skylight Airways’, which crashed during landing at 11.20 am. To distinguish it from regular radio traffic at the airport, news of the crash was announced to agencies concerned over a specially designated radio frequency. Rescue vehicles of the Airport Fire Services reached the site promptly along with ambulances and proceeded to carry out a simulated rescue.

“The coordination between various agencies turned out to be good. We also had independent observers monitor the exercise, and their response will be taken in time,” the official said.

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