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.

The scenario had assumed there would be critically injured passengers, those with minor injuries, the uninjured and also some passengers who “succumbed” during the crash. Volunteers from various agencies at the airport were used to simulate the injured, while dummies were used to represent the dead.

“I don’t know what is happening. I have just come out of the airport and everything seemed normal inside. I am scared seeing so many ambulances. Hope everything is well and we are not facing any crisis,” Rishi Singh, who had just arrived on a Kingfisher flight from Mumbai, said. As Singh stood waiting for a taxi, several ambulances with high-pitched sirens made rounds of the airport, making brief stops at Udaan Bhawan, which officials said was being treated as the health facility where the injured were being taken.

“Airport medical staff prioritised the injured based on the extent of injuries. Fire tenders of the Delhi Fire Service located in the city and ambulances from various hospitals also reported at the site to assist in rescue operations,” a DIAL official said.

Officials said a review session will be organised with the participants for a detailed analysis of all parameters and a suggested course of action would be determined to enhance the procedures. “Normal operations resumed at the airport after 12.30 pm,” the CISF official said.