Mock Drill Portrays Plane-Hijack at Sgr Airport

Srinagar “It’s 8:30 am. GoAir flight G8-123 hijacked. Pilot thrown out the cabin, dead,” reads a first emergency text flashed to Air Traffic Control at Srinagar’s International Airport Saturday morning. The aircraft was, actually, part of the carefully planned mock drill by state authorities to ensure preparedness during such a worst scenario. The loudspeakers at the crowded airport aired a different message: “GoAir G8-123 has been diverted back due to bad weather; inconvenience to the passengers is regretted.”
For the first time in two decades of insurgency and intermittent peace, Srinagar airport witnessed such a huge anti-hijack preparation that involved Police, airport authorities, intelligence officials and above all the India’s elite National Security Guard (NSG).
The second mock message to ATC confirmed that the highjackers spoke Tamil and had “killed” seven passengers besides Pilot who was “hacked” in the first attack. “Tamil translators arranged at ATC,” the co-pilot received the feedback. Police and security forces were asked to gear up for a more vigorous contingency that would see them seal off the airport and a senior police officer deployed at the main entry to “control the press”. Firefighters and ambulances were kept ready besides the control room was set up at the airport to coordinate with the relatives of the hostages.
Police sources said the plan was conceived few months ago after intelligence inputs were collated from across the country about a possibility of militants, Kashmiris or Indian Maoists, might attempt a hijack at any of country’s sensitive airports.
26/05/12 Kashmir Observer

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Categories: airports May 2012, Safety May 2012