Oman Air tests airline hijack scenario in Muscat

Muscat: A real time scenario of a hijacked aircraft by terrorists who posed the "threat of harming the passengers" was practiced by the senior officials of the national carrier, Oman Air to boost the airline’s emergency response plan.
Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate, held an ultra-realistic and highly successful emergency exercise recently at its headquarters in Muscat.
Testing the airline's emergency response plans and procedures, the participating teams led by Senior Manager, Safety and ERP Captain Waheed Al Subhi, developed a real-time scenario consisting of a hijacked aircraft by terrorists who posed the "threat of harming the passengers".
The exercise was carefully designed to test Oman Air's responsiveness coping with any unforeseen circumstances.
A representative from Kenyon International Emergency Services (the specialised emergency support organisation retained by Oman Air) was also present, who in turn hailed the exercise a major success. A brainstorming session was conducted at the end of the emergency exercise.
Investing heavily in emergency preparedness, this exercise was the latest in a series that have been carried out across the airline's network.
The drill involved teams from across the airline's departments including Corporate Communications and Media, Marketing, IT, Finance, HR, Legal, Commercial as well as the Flight and Ground Operations teams.
Oman Air's primary and over-riding consideration is the safety and well-being of its staff and guests. "Exercises such as the one carried out have enabled the airline to retain its spotless safety record.
Overall, this exercise has been a powerful learning experience that will only make the collective emergency response plans of the airline even stronger. The positive outcomes from this exercise are the result of the commitment and enthusiasm offered by all the staff involved," a statement from the airline said.
Oman Air is a rapidly growing, dynamic airline and the continual training and drilling of staff is part of the internal efforts by the Oman Air Response Team to ensure that all staff are trained to the highest industry standards to ensure they can be ready for any unforeseen circumstances.