A large-scale emergency exercise involving over 100 people was successfully carried out today by the Austrian Armed Forces and Klagenfurt Airport. This realistic scenario offered the participants an important opportunity to test their skills and the interaction between different emergency organizations.
The exercise scenario was carefully planned: An aircraft, the Pilatus PC6, with radioactive cargo on board, entered Austrian airspace from the south. Two Eurofighters of the Austrian Armed Forces intercepted the aircraft and forced it to land at Klagenfurt Airport. On the apron, the PC6 collided with an Embraer E195 commercial airliner, which then caught fire.
All emergency measures were initiated immediately. The ABC defence of the Federal Army secured the Pilatus PC6, while the Klagenfurt air traffic control centre raised the alarm. Emergency services, fire brigade and police were mobilised immediately. The airport fire brigade, supported by other fire brigades, carried out an extinguishing attack on the simulated aircraft fire. The Red Cross cared for the injured and transported them away after providing initial treatment. The police cordoned off a large area of the area and began investigations. Official observers from the Supreme Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Ministry of the Interior monitored the course of the exercise.
The exercise was over after about two hours and provided valuable insights into the process and cooperation between the various emergency services. Maximilian Wildt, Managing Director of Klagenfurt Airport, emphasized the importance of such exercises: "Today we saw again clearly how essential the interaction of all emergency organizations is. Klagenfurt Airport plays a central role as an important transport facility in the country - which makes it all the more important for us to be prepared for an emergency. We would like to thank all emergency organizations such as the Red Cross, the fire brigade, the police and the Austrian Armed Forces and of course our own team and the partners at the site for their professional efforts."
Schutzschild 24: The largest exercise of the Federal Army in a decade
This emergency exercise is part of "Schutzschild 24", the largest exercise of the Austrian Armed Forces in 10 years, which will take place from June 10 to 21, 2024. During this period, 1.500 soldiers will train in Carinthia to protect critical infrastructure, supported by around 200 vehicles. This large-scale exercise underlines the importance of cooperation between military and civilian forces to ensure national security and protect the population.
The emergency exercise at Klagenfurt Airport was a successful test of the emergency plans and the ability of the organizations involved to cooperate. Such exercises are essential in order to be able to react quickly and effectively in an emergency. They also show the important role of Klagenfurt Airport as a central transport facility and the need for constant readiness and cooperation between all emergency services.
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