More than 250 personnel from 8 agencies took part in Sydney Airport’s biennial large-scale emergency exercise, testing the airport’s emergency response arrangements and inter-agency coordination.
Six months in the planning, the exercise forms part of Sydney Airport’s regular emergency management program. The airport last ran a full airport-wide emergency exercise in October 2024.
This year’s exercise simulated an inbound domestic Boeing 737 declaring a MAYDAY after a suspected engine fire. After making an emergency landing, the aircraft vacated the runway and stopped on a taxiway, where a simulated explosion triggered a full emergency response and passenger evacuation.
Emergency services tested passenger triage, casualty management arrangements and welfare support procedures for uninjured passengers, transporting injured passengers to hospital under the scenario.
The exercise brought together Sydney Airport, the NSW Police Force, the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS), Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES) and Airservices Australia, testing capabilities including aircraft firefighting, passenger evacuation, rescue and retrieval, casualty management, emergency communications and multi-agency incident management.
Sydney Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said the exercise reflected the airport’s commitment to safety.
‘Safety is our highest priority, and exercises like this play an important role in ensuring we are prepared, coordinated and ready to respond in the event of an emergency,’ Charlton said.
‘Conducted every two years, these exercises bring together airports, emergency services and government agencies to test plans, strengthen coordination and ensure we can respond effectively in a complex operating environment.
‘Today’s exercise demonstrates the value of planning, collaboration and continuous improvement. It provided an opportunity to validate our emergency arrangements, learn from one another and continually refine how we work together in a coordinated response."
Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Zone Commander Matthew Franklin said major aviation incidents demanded a rapid, coordinated response.
‘Major aviation incidents require a rapid, highly coordinated response, and exercises like this are critical to ensuring our firefighters remain highly trained and prepared to work seamlessly alongside Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Services and other emergency services,’ Franklin said.
Sydney Airport runs an airport-wide emergency exercise every 2 years in partnership with emergency agencies and organisations as part of its regular emergency management program.