November 24, 2023
Athens International Airport
2023 LARGE-SCALE READINESS EXERCISE
The Athens International Airport organizes exercises on an annual basis, intending to test the Airport Emergency Response Plan (ERP), checking the effectiveness and efficiency of the available means, the response of the systems, the familiarization and practice of the staff in dealing with incidents and, above all, ensuring a high level of cooperation between the agencies involved, thus ensuring the highest possible level of safety and preparedness for similar cases of actual incidents.
In this context, on Wednesday 22/11/2023, the Large Scale Preparedness Exercise 2023, entitled "Aviation Incident at Airport: Aircraft Collision" scenario, was successfully carried out, by the regulations of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The exercise was carried out with the participation for the first time of two airlines, AEGEAN and Volotea, and two Ground Handling Agencies, Goldair Handling, and Skyserv.
In this year's preparedness exercise, apart from the services of the AIA, the following agencies participated:
AEGEAN
Volotea
Civil Aviation Service / Airport Control Tower (ATC)
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)
Airport Fire Service (PYA)
Fire Brigade (Fire brigades of neighboring services - Koropi, Markopoulo, Pallini- staff from the 1st EMAK & 80 students from the Fire Brigade)
Athens Airport Police Directorate (AAAA)
Airport Emergency Medical Service (YEIVA)
National Center for Immediate Assistance (ECAB)
SkyServ Handling
Goldair Handling
National Organization for the Investigation of Aviation and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety (EODASAAM).
Exercise Scenario
According to the scenario of the exercise, "On November 22, 2023, an Airbus A320 aircraft of the AEGEAN airline company, with flight number A3 9999 with a crew of 2 people in the cockpit, 4 people in the passenger cabin and a total of 54 passengers, took off from Heraklion with the destination Lyon.
At 10:30 am local, declared an emergency due to severe turbulence during the flight that caused 3 serious injuries. There is also a report of an unconscious passenger.
The Control Tower controller authorizes the aircraft to land in the Western System.
On runway "A", in the Western System, there is an Airbus A319 aircraft, of the airline company Volotea, with flight number V7 2023, performing the scheduled scheduled flight from Athens to Santorini, with a crew of 2 people in the cockpit, 4 people in the passenger compartment and a total of 30 passengers.
Volotea aircraft cleared to depart runway collides with AEGEAN aircraft during landing.
As a result of the impact, there are injuries to both aircraft of the companies involved, while the engine under no. 1 of Volotea's aircraft catches fire."
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