Cardiff Airport facilitated a multi-agency training exercise.
Airport fire crews took part alongside South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, South Wales Police, the Welsh Ambulance Service, Vale of Glamorgan Council and the Hazardous Area Response Team.
The exercise aimed to enhance emergency response and improve coordination among partner agencies in the event of a major incident.
The scenario simulated a cargo plane making an emergency landing with an onboard fire and six crew members.
Fire crews from Cardiff Airport Fire Station were first on scene, tackling the external fire with a foam blanket to prevent escalation.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service crews from Barry were also deployed to the scene to manage the internal fire.
Eight Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, including two members from the Hazardous Area Response Team, entered the aircraft and brought the internal fire under control using three main jets, as well as cutting and lifting equipment.
The simulation featured one fatality among the aircraft crew, and the remaining five casualties were successfully rescued, including one with an impalement injury, and were triaged on-scene in coordination with Welsh Ambulance and Hazardous Area Response teams’ protocols.
Incident coordination was managed from the Multi-Agency Command Centre (MACC) at Cardiff Airport, where silver commanders and observers from all partner organisations worked together to share real-time information and ensure a unified response.
The operation demonstrated excellent coordination, technical skill, and professionalism from all involved.
It also highlighted areas for improvement.
All scheduled flights operated as normal at Cardiff Airport during the exercise.
