Safety, Operational Efficiency: Port-Harcourt International Airport Holds Table-Top Emergency Mock Exercise
The Management of Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) has organized a comprehensive Table-Top Emergency Mock Exercise at the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Conference Hall, aimed at enhancing preparedness, coordination, and effective response during emergency situations.
Presiding over the session, the Regional/General Manager (South-South), Mrs. Lynda Ezike, briefed team members on their respective roles during emergencies, emphasizing the importance of proactive planning teamwork, clarity of responsibility, communication, synergy and prompt response amongst all responders in case of an emergency
Similarly, the Head of Safety, Mrs. Udeh Modesta, reiterated the vital role of Terminal and Operations Managers play in providing technical support to aircraft operators and the Technical Director, particularly through strategic timely manpower deployment during emergencies.
The meeting had in attendance traditional rulers, HRH Eze Achinike Amadi, Eze Gibson JP, and Chief Opara Stephen, alongside Heads of Departments from various units and representatives of NAHCO, SAHCO, NIMET, NAMA, Red Cross, Federal Road Safety Corps, Asharami Synergy, Rivers State Emergency Medical Services, the Chairman AOC, other Airline Station Managers and an Imam representative.
Stakeholders and departmental heads took turns outlining their roles in emergency response, reinforcing the strong importance of inter-agency collaborations in ensuring swift and coordinated action during emergency situations in managing crises effectively.
Speaking on safety within the airport environment, HRH Eze Achinike Amadi stressed the need for increased sensitization against vandalism and discouraged the farming practices around airport vicinity, noting that such activities attract birds and wildlife that pose serious safety risks to aircraft operations.
The Head of Safety also led the participants through a detailed review of the 2024 Full Scale Emergency Exercise Report and highlighting ongoing improvements and key operational objectives of the drill, which include testing the adequacy of the PHIA Emergency Plan, improving accessibility in difficult terrain, strengthening communication channels, enhancing response time, boosting coordination and crowd control, deepening collaboration with Air Traffic Control, Aviation Medical Services, ARFFS, Aviation Security, and other agencies.
The exercise also underscored the critical essence of emergency preparedness in effective airport operations. Regular drills enhance safety awareness and operational readiness, improve team coordination, ensures that all stakeholders understand their roles, expose gaps that require improvement, and strengthen compliance with national and international aviation safety standards. They also build confidence among passengers and partners, build operational continuity during the crisis as well as support seamless crisis management, and help sustain uninterrupted airport operations during unforeseen events – overly reinforcing PHIA capacity to respond swiftly and professionally to any emergency.
The exercise concluded with closing remarks from the Head of Operations, who commended the participants for their dedication to safety, after which the session ended with a closing prayer.
