Several flights were delayed after a mock drill caught fliers off guard at the city’s international terminal on Sunday.
Jet Airways informed its passengers that its aircraft were delayed up to 30 minutes and it was expected to continue till 11pm.
Passengers of other airlines were also informed about the drill. They vented their anger on Twitter. A passenger, who was stranded outside the international airport, blamed an airline for inconvenience.
As part of their annual routine, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Airport Police station undertook the evacuation drill at the international terminal (T2) from 1pm to 3pm.
All international operations were suspended, while domestic flights from terminal 1 continued to operate.
The exercise comes days after the Centre issued an advisory to all state governments to step up security at airports and railway stations to thwart chemical attacks.
“All stakeholders were informed about the drill a month ago. Owing to security reasons, only tentative date and timings were shared so that airlines would be prepared for it. The aim of the drill does not allow us to reveal specific details,” said a senior CISF officer.
During the drill, a fake bomb was kept in the terminal (mostly in the check-in area). Teams from the Bomb Disposal Detection Squad (BDDS) and Quick Reaction Team (QRT) swung into action to defuse it.
Whenever such security drills are undertaken at the airport, all operations are suspended. “These mandatory drills are performed to ensure passengers’ safety at the Mumbai airport, which handles more than 50 flights every hour. Zero hour is declared during the drill during which no flights take off or land,” said an airport official.
Jet Airways informed its passengers that its aircraft were delayed up to 30 minutes and it was expected to continue till 11pm.
Passengers of other airlines were also informed about the drill. They vented their anger on Twitter. A passenger, who was stranded outside the international airport, blamed an airline for inconvenience.
As part of their annual routine, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Airport Police station undertook the evacuation drill at the international terminal (T2) from 1pm to 3pm.
All international operations were suspended, while domestic flights from terminal 1 continued to operate.
The exercise comes days after the Centre issued an advisory to all state governments to step up security at airports and railway stations to thwart chemical attacks.
“All stakeholders were informed about the drill a month ago. Owing to security reasons, only tentative date and timings were shared so that airlines would be prepared for it. The aim of the drill does not allow us to reveal specific details,” said a senior CISF officer.
During the drill, a fake bomb was kept in the terminal (mostly in the check-in area). Teams from the Bomb Disposal Detection Squad (BDDS) and Quick Reaction Team (QRT) swung into action to defuse it.
Whenever such security drills are undertaken at the airport, all operations are suspended. “These mandatory drills are performed to ensure passengers’ safety at the Mumbai airport, which handles more than 50 flights every hour. Zero hour is declared during the drill during which no flights take off or land,” said an airport official.