After the tragic plane crash of the Air India Express at Kozhikode airport, a mobile command post (MCP) vehicle has reached Kolkata Airport amidst the COVID-19 lockdown. This vehicle was commissioned by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) on 30 April and will be used as a preventive measure in times of crash-landing.
The vehicle costs Rs 46,36,220 and has a compartment where various facilities can be mounted for use on the site as when required. This will be especially helpful for rescue operations or in unlawful situations. It will be deployed by Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services as quickly as possible at a distance of not less than 90 meters upwind from the aircraft accident site.
The AAI informed that the MCP will serve as a point where liaison officers of the various cooperating agencies can assemble to plan and coordinate the rescue operations. It will also act as a staging area for all ground service equipment such as tow tractors, coaches, etc.
“[It is also used to] establish an Assembly Area for the uninjured survivors and to secure/ provide any assistance required by doctors at the Triage Area and arrange the speedy evacuation of injured casualty cases in the hospital. [It also] liaises with the airline concerned to transport the uninjured casualties to the SRC (Survivors Reception Centre) and establish communication with Crisis Management Centre (CMC) and Airport Operation Control Centre (AOCC),” said the AAI.
Following the Air India crash on 7 August which killed 18 people including the pilot, various measures are being taken at airports across the country to tackle untoward incidents.
