An evacuation exercise took place in the early hours of Thursday at Larnaka International Airport, on the southern coast of Cyprus and was completed with success, according to a press release issued by Hermes Airports, the operator of the two International Airports of the Republic of Cyprus.
The exercise aimed to define the readiness level and the coordination of all the relevant departments during an emergency situation and took place in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Department, the Police and all the competent services.
According to the scenario of the exercise, the airport initially received via phone, a dual bomb threat, both against an aircraft which was preparing for takeoff, and against the premises of Larnaka Airport.
The exercise scenario envisaged that the telephone threats were real, something which led to a detonation of an explosive device which was hidden in the departure lounge. As a result, all the competent authorities of the State and the airport were immediately mobilized for a direct management of the emergency situation and the coordination of the various security forces and rescue services.
The Emergency Coordination Centre gave instructions to extinguish a small fire which broke out in the departure area, evacuate people in the area and provide first aid to injured persons.
Later on, the competent authorities ordered the immediate and complete evacuation of both the terminal building and the aircraft. The detection of a second explosive device led to a controlled explosion and a thorough inspection of the departure area, before allowing the public to return to the terminal.
The following services were actively involved in the exercise: Civil Aviation Department, Airport Police Security, Police Headquarters Pyrotechnics, Police Dog Division (K9), Aliens and Immigration Unit, Fire Service of Larnaka Airport, Control Tower, Cyprus Airways, Larnaka General Hospital, Ground Handling Companies (Swissport and LGS Handling), CTC-ARI, Cyprus Airports Food & Beverage, S&L and Volunteers.
The exercise was conducted in accordance with the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Department of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Cyprus.
