On Saturday 4 October, a full-scale emergency drill was held. The scenario? One passenger was killed and several injured when their flight to Brussels encountered sudden, extreme turbulence.
Every two years, Brussels Airport conducts a full-scale emergency exercise to test its emergency and safety procedures under the most realistic conditions possible. According to this year's scenario, a plane bound for Brussels Airport encountered severe turbulence, resulting in numerous 'injured' passengers in need of immediate medical assistance. A situation that required coordination at the provincial level.
The scenario was carefully developed in consultation with the Federal Emergency Planning Department of Flemish Brabant, the fire brigade, the Red Cross, medical intervention services, the Federal Police, Defence and local authorities. Brussels Airlines also participated in the drill, providing the aircraft from which the 'victims' were evacuated, to make the scenario as realistic as possible.
300 participants
The emergency drill, that took about 5 hours, tested the functioning of both internal and external procedures, as well as the implementation of the Special Emergency and Intervention Plan (BNIP). This exercise is part of the airport’s EASA certification requirements, which all international European airports must meet.
Approximately 300 people, including crisis actors, emergency response services and assessors, participated in the drill that was coordinated from the new, state-of-the-art crisis centre in Compass. Afterwards, a joint debriefing was held, enabling all participants to share their experiences and insights. Insights gained from this field test will be incorporated to enhance procedures and ensure ongoing improvement in emergency responsiveness.