Training exercises at Western Sydney International Airport have seen the first official touchdown of a Boeing 737 on site this week as a two-day programme of staged simulations has come to an end.
On-site exercises included a full-scale aerodrome emergency response to a simulated aircraft incident, which saw WSI operational staff work alongside approximately 300 volunteers and emergency services partners from he NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, RFS, and NSW Ambulance as well as federal agencies including Airservices Australia, the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Border Force.
The exercise involved around 50 emergency service vehicles and included testing of both the roles and protocols of frontline agencies, including immediate response, incident notification, forward command management, ambulance triage, disaster victim identification and registration, passenger welfare, crisis management and recovery arrangements.
WSI CEO Simon Hickey said:What a terrific sight it was to see WSI welcome its first 737 – the first of many jets that will be coming in for landing at Sydney’s new 24-hour airport when we welcome our first commercial customers in the second half of next year,” he said.
This week’s exercise comes as we ramp up our broader live trials at WSI, which gives us the chance to flex our operational muscles and importantly, train staff for the ever-dynamic environment of a 24-hour airport.
At the same time, emergency simulations alongside other live tests and trials ensure we’re meeting critical CASA certification requirements, all of which will continue over the months ahead.
I thank the state and federal agencies for their close collaboration and the hundreds of community partners and local volunteers who’ve supported this week’s successful two-day program.
