FAAN DEMONSTRATES IT’S READINESS TO RESPOND TO ANY AIR CRASH INCIDENT OR EMERGENCY AT THE MURTALA MOHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, LAGOS 05-12-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has demonstrated its readiness to respond to any air crash incident or emergency at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, through a simulation exercise.
Regional Manager, South West Airports and Airport manager Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Mr. Olatukunbo Arewa assured of having the requisite manpower and facilities.
The exercise, which involved a Boeing 737 aircraft skidding off the runway and suffering fuel leakage, tested the response time and capabilities of FAAN’s emergency services, including fire and medical teams.
The simulation was designed to assess the authority’s preparedness to handle such incidents and identify areas for improvement.
According to eyewitnesses, the alarm sounded at the incident, and two fire tenders from FAAN, joined by Lagos State fire service officials, quickly responded to the scene to put out the raging fire.
All 45 passengers and six crew members on board the aircraft, who suffered various degrees of injuries, were rescued and taken to ambulances.
The Regional Manager, South West Airports and Airport Manager, Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Mr. Olatukunbo Arewa, commended the response time of the fire and medical officials, as well as other stakeholders who participated in the exercise.
He promised to address areas where gaps were noticed during the simulation.
“This is one of the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO as stated in the documents that out airport emergency plans we have to show that we are ready to attend to emergency whenever it occurs, though, we don’t pray for any emergency but we need to prepare and get ready whenever it occurs at the airport”.
Deputy General Manager, Station Commander, Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Services, MMA, Mrs. Dolapo Fakunle, said that the fire fighters achieved their goal of putting out the fire within two minutes.
“We have already done with the fire and we commence the rescue operations immediately, the response was very, very encouraging”.
Head of Department, Medical Team, MMA, Dr. Ofoegbu Okechukwu, praised the medical team for their training, which enabled them to ensure no lives were lost during the exercise.
Other partners who responded to the emergency call included the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Port Health Services, Red Cross, and Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).