Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat declared the exercise underway at 12:30am, explaining that the exercise was aimed at building confidence among passengers and airport users.
Branded as ‘PEMEX’, further defined as the “Full-scale Exercise of Phuket International Airport Emergency Plan 2024”, the simulation represented an aircraft accident involved in a “runway excursion” ‒ namely, an aircraft sliding off the runway.
The simulated incident took place at “Grid Map On Airport: C15”, said a report of the exercise, explaining that the drill focused on practicing operational procedures, planning and following the established emergency protocols accurately.
The exercise emphasised coordination among relevant agencies to ensure timely responses and reduce the impact of emergencies, prioritizing victim assistance and maintaining flight operations, the report said.
According to Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) regulations, airports must conduct a full-scale emergency plan exercise at least once every two years to instill trust in safety response measures among passengers and airport service users.
Key participants in the training included Phuket Airport General Manager Monchai Tanode along with other senior management and airport employees, airline officials, operators, government agencies and private sector representatives. The mainstay of the exercise was held at the Phuket Airport Tsunami Shelter.
The simulation was executed according to the emergency plan, with all procedures followed correctly and without any incidents, demonstrating the airport’s effective emergency preparedness, the official report said.