Airport Conducts Full Scale Exercise Simulating Aircraft Emergency

Date:  October 24, 2005
Contact:  Tom Nolan, Assistant Director of Airports
: tnolan@wichita.gov
: (316) 946-4700

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport is conducting a mock full-scale aircraft incident exercise on Wednesday, October 26 at 8:30 AM. Members of the media are invited to attend.

A considerable amount of the Airport’s resources are spent each year to ensure the airport is prepared for any number of different emergency situations. With approximately 200,000 aircraft landing or departing each year, the airport must be prepared to react in a moment’s notice to any number of different aircraft emergencies. In addition to year-round training, every three years a full-scale exercise is conducted to simulate a real aircraft incident. The exercise involves dozens of participants, including other mutual aid agencies.

"Mid-Continent Airport, like all airports in the country, takes security and passenger safety seriously and this exercise is a critical way to prepare for something that we hope will never happen in Wichita," said Director of Airports, Victor White. "The exercise is important, but so are Mid-Continent customers. We will conduct this exercise without impact to normal daily operations so customers should not be concerned about their flights," he said.

##

MEDIA INFO ONLY: Media planning to attend should report to the small lot located just west of the main terminal building sometime before 8:30 AM to capture the first response of airport firefighting and other mutual aid trucks. The total exercise will last approximately two hours. Airport staff will provide escorts for the media to a viewing area located near the exercise site. The Director of Airports, or designee, will be on site for interviews during the event. It is requested that interviews of participants not be conducted during the event.

View More News Releases